The Angel of Death
by DarkxPrince
Summary: Something else other then the Kyuubi was sealed within Naruto at his birth, and no one could have foreseen this happening or what the impact it would cause. Now, adopted at the age of six, he will train and become known as the Angel of Death.
1. Chapter 1

The Angel of Death

Chapter 1

_"I will... _never,_ be a memory."_

Those were his last words before his physical body dissolved into black dust. But his mind, his spirit, his essence, his will... these things were too strong to merely disappear. But he had no way of returning to physical form, at least not in this universe. There were others that he could travel to, but all held the same problem, he had no way of returning to his true physical form. He had only one option, and that was to implant his will, his essence, into a body. It didn't matter what body, and it didn't matter what universe or dimension... as long as it was young.

But the cells of his 'mother' that were implanted into him when he was born had been destroyed with his body. Her desire to destroy the world and use it to travel to other worlds and repeat the cycle was no longer there. All that there was was a strong desire to remain alive... to never fade, to never be mere words in a history book or an old wives's tale. He simply would not accept that. However, whatever body he choose to implant himself into, his will would not be in control. It would be there, in the back of the person's consciousness, slowly merging and becoming one. It was not the ideal method but, it would have to do.

He felt a pull into a different dimension, and before he knew it he was looking over a battlefield. He took note of the village, of the... ninja, if he wasn't mistaken, fighting a large fox with nine tails. He watched as an equally large toad appeared in front of the rampaging fox. There was a blinding flash of light and the battle was over, the large fox had disappeared and all that was left was the giant toad. Unseen by anyone, the black dust that made up his essence made its way downward. Coming into view upon the large toad's head was a blonde man still holding a small bundle even in death. The bundle was revealed to be a sleeping baby, no older then a few hours, with three whisker marks upon each cheek. The black dust was absorbed into the sleeping infant, remaining dormant for some years, before awakening.

--

_(6 years later)_

When Diao Chan had convinced her beloved to take her into Konoha, she was not expecting this to happen. She had not expected to hear cries for help and she had definitely not expected to find a boy no older then six years old, being beaten by a mob of villagers. Her motherly instincts flaring, she looked over to the dark armored figure of her beloved, the twin phoenix feathers swaying in the wind. Lu Bu gave off a loud roar causing the mob to stop the beating and turn their attention towards them. Lu Bu walked forward, the villagers parting to make room for them. When she got a glance at the young blonde boy, Diao Chan immediately rushed forward to cradle the bleeding child.

"I... I didn't... I didn't do anything. Someone... anyone... please... help." The small boy in her arms cried out. Diao Chan tightened her grip on the small boy, not caring about the blood she was getting on herself, whispering sweet words into the child's ear.

"What is the meaning of this?! You cowardly vermin would attack a helpless child!" Lu Bu yelled out, demanding some answers.

"That's no child!" One villager yelled out, "That little demon," however the villager was cut short when his head rolled off his shoulders. The headless body fell to the ground, revealing the dark robed figure of an ANBU, the white weasel mask staring out at the gathered mob.

"Is there anyone else, who wishes to break Sandaime-sama's law?" The Weasel ANBU asked, his voice cold and emotionless. Not wanting to deal with an ANBU the mob quickly scattered, leaving Weasel, Lu Bu and Diao Chan in the street. "Thank you, for interfering. I'm afraid I was otherwise... occupied, with other matters. I'll take the boy to the hospital and make sure he gets treated." Weasel said, sheathing his katana as he walked over to stand in front of Diao Chan.

Diao Chan looked up to her beloved, her eyes silently pleading with him. Lu Bu knew that look, he knew that she wouldn't be separated from the boy now. Perhaps Diao Chan's caring heart was too big, or perhaps it was simply her motherly instincts telling her to care for the boy. Either way, he knew that she wouldn't be convinced to be far from the boy. Not that he blamed her, even he had doubts about the boy's safety from the little they had seen. And he heard that Konoha was the best village to live in. Ha! All he saw was more vermin that thought they were better then anyone else. "Diao Chan will stay with the boy at the hospital while you take me to see whoever it is that's in charge of this village," Lu Bu said, leaving no room for argument.

Weasel nodded his head and led them to the hospital. On the way there, Lu Bu took note of all of the glares that were being directed towards them, though they all seemed to be focused on the young blonde boy that Diao Chan was carrying. But what that villager had said before the ANBU killed him still bothered him. "That little demon", what had that meant? Lu Bu had heard tales of certain demons being able to change their appearance. But if that was the case here, then why hadn't the small boy defended himself and changed to his true form? Or was it just the fear of the villagers corrupting their minds to the truth? Lu Bu didn't know the answer, and he wasn't going to ask Diao Chan and risk worrying her about something that might not be the case.

Diao Chan walked up to the receptionist in the lobby and said, "Please, this boy needs help."

The receptionist took one glance at the boy in her arms and said, "That... _thing_ is not allowed in here." The ANBU would have done something but the receptionist was pinned to the wall before he could act. An X-shaped weapon with the blade of a halberd on the four ends was holding her to the wall. Lu Bu walked forward and took Sky Piercer from the wall, "Help the boy, worm." The receptionist nodded and quickly called for a doctor. Luckily the doctor that was called had no ill will towards the young child and quickly led Diao Chan off.

With that out of the way, Lu Bu turned to the ANBU and said, "Now, take me to whoever it is that's in charge." The ANBU nodded before leading the dark armored warrior away.

--

Diao Chan sat next to the young boy's bed, whom she learned was named Naruto. To her surprise Naruto had healed almost immediately, but the strange thing was that the doctor hadn't been surprised either. This led her to believe that there was something about the boy that everyone else knew that she and Lu Bu didn't. Perhaps Naruto had one of those _kekkei genkai_, or bloodline limit, that some of the ninja clans were known for? But if that was true, then why were those villagers beating the small boy? And where was the boy's clan if he did have a _kekkei genkai_? No, there was another reason. But what could be so terrible that no one would talk about it? Not even the boy himself knew, if his cries for help were any indication.

Even so, she would care for the boy as if he was her own. From the little the doctor had told her, Naruto was an orphan, his parents killed in some attack that happened six years ago. What happened during that attack the doctor had refused to say, as if it was a village secret. What ever it was, could it be linked to Naruto more then what was told to her? What could it be that would make the villagers hate such a small and innocent boy? Wait a minute, what had that one villager say? "That's no child! That little demon," but Naruto couldn't be a demon, could he? No, he couldn't, no demon would willingly be beaten by a mob of villagers.

Any other thoughts Diao Chan might have had disappeared as Naruto awakened, "Where... where am I?"

Diao Chan placed her gloved hand on the small boy's shoulders, frowning when he stiffened as if afraid of the contact, "Do not worry, little one. You are safe here, with me."

Naruto's eyes widened at this, tears gathering at the corners, "You... you really mean that?" Diao Chan's response was to gather the small child in her arms and hold him to her. Naruto buried his face into the crock of her neck and cried, Diao Chan tightened her grip, whispering sweet nothings into his ear and stroking his hair.

After a few minutes, Diao Chan pulled back to stare into Naruto's eyes, "Come, you're fully healed and you look like you haven't eaten in days. I'll treat you to some food while my Lord Lu Bu talks to the person in charge of the village."

Naruto jumped off of her lap and grabbed her hand, "Then to Ichiraku Ramen! They have the best ramen around!" Naruto started to run as fast as his little legs could carry him while still pulling Diao Chan along.

Diao Chan saw the glares, took note of the whispers behind their back. All of this fueled her suspicion that there was something larger hidden. But it also fueled rare anger within her. How dare the villagers attack a boy and not even say the reason behind it. It was inexcusable! How could anyone look at Naruto and not see a hyperactive, innocent young boy? Though from personal experience, fear did strange things to someone's mind. But what was there to fear about the young boy? The beautiful dancer didn't have any answers, but she prayed that her beloved would find out.

Ichiraku Ramen was run by Teuchi, with his thirteen year old daughter, Ayame, helping out. Both of the ramen chiefs adored Naruto, and this made Diao Chan glad. Naruto chattered away to Ayame as if he was never beaten earlier that day. Or was Naruto beaten so many times that he was just used to it? And if so, then that just strengthened her decision to care for the boy. She knew Lu Bu wouldn't mind. Her beloved had always wanted to train or produce an heir. And although he never said it out loud, she knew her lord cared too much about her. She knew that Lu Bu would withhold his own desire just to protect her.

Watching in slight fascination as Naruto tore through bowl after bowl of ramen, Diao Chan had to wonder when was the last time the boy ate... or if he always ate so much. The young boy was already on his fifth bowl and there appeared to be no sign of him stopping. Not that Diao Chan minded, regardless of what anyone said or threatened to do, she would care and raise the boy. Even if she and her beloved had to fight to keep the young boy. She simply would not allow Naruto to remain in a village that clearly and openly despised him.

Her thoughts were broken when the same weasel masked ANBU appeared before them, "Hokage-sama requests you and young Uzumaki-san's presence." Diao Chan nodded, reaching into the pouch she kept attached to her belt and paying for the meal before following the ANBU.

When they were all gathered in the Hokage's office, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi, was the first to speak, "Naruto-kun, I have already explained this to Lu Bu, but you, as well as Diao Chan, should know about what happened on the day of your birth. But first, let me begin with telling you who your parents were." Naruto's eyes lit up at this, "Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was an ANBU captain from the hidden village located in Uzu no Kuni. During the Third Great Shinobi War, she came here, after Uzu no Kuni was completely destroyed, she was the only surviver. Here she met your father, Namikaze Minato, otherwise known as the Yondaime Hokage."

Sarutobi paused to collect his thoughts, here things became difficult, "As you know, six years ago, during the day of your birth, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked this village. Your father tried everything he knew to stop the fox, but the Kyuubi couldn't be destroyed, so he did the next best thing. Minato sealed the soul of the Kyuubi into you, this is why the villagers hate and fear you. But unlike what they want to believe, you are not the fox itself, you are merely the container of its soul and power."

Tears streamed down the young boy's face, as he took everything in, but unfortunately the aged Hokage wasn't finished, "Before your mother died, she gave me this to give you." Sarutobi tossed a scroll, which Diao Chan caught, unrolling it in front of the small boy in her lap.

"Um... c-could you read it?" Naruto asked. A sad smile spread across her lips before Diao Chan began to read:

_To my little Naru-chan,_

_If you are reading this then that means I have died. Even as I'm writing, you're sleeping peacefully in your crib. You look so sweet and innocent, it's hard to imagine the burden your father placed on you. It's been a full year since your father died protecting this village. My little Naru-kun, as you may or may not know, your father died sealing away the Kyuubi no Kitsune into your infant form. But know that you are not the fox itself, do not let anyone tell you otherwise. You are Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, the last of both clans. Oh, I wish there was an easier way to tell you this but I know there isn't. Because of an unforeseen complication giving birth to you and the strain of the Kyuubi's attack, the doctors have said that I my not live long enough to see you grow up. And because of this I want to write a little about the Uzumaki and our kekkei genkai._

_We Uzumaki were known as the 'Angels of the Battlefield', because of our kekkei genkai. This kekkei genkai is the ability to sprout wings from our shoulder blades, and yes the ability to fly as well. I have already created a separate scroll detailing the abilities, however, I feel you should know how to activate it. In order to call upon the Angel's Wings, simply focus your chakra to your shoulder blades and they shall appear._

_It fills me with grief, knowing the difficult life you shall face, knowing that I may not live long enough to see you surpass your father, knowing how the ignorant villagers will never see you as the innocent boy that you are. But regardless of what may happen, know that I have, and always will love you. Continue our legacy, Naruto-kun, and make your father and I proud._

_Your loving mother,_

_Uzumaki Kushina_

Naruto had tears streaming down his face, though these were from happiness. Happiness from knowing that his parents had loved him. Gone were the thoughts that his family had abandoned him, caused by the biased villagers, from their hate. It didn't matter to him, that he'd never see them, but knowing that they _cared_ was enough for him. His subconscious mind gathered chakra at his shoulders, sprouting two black angel wings. After Naruto calmed down, Sarutobi said, "Lu Bu here, has offered to adopt you, Naruto."

"Understand that I will train you to be the strongest there is. However, I know not any of your ninjutsu, therefor I can not train him in that," Lu Bu said.

Sarutobi nodded, "That is where Weasel-san, comes in. You may remove your mask." The ANBU nodded, lowering the hood first, revealing black hair kept in a low ponytail. The weasel mask was then removed, revealing a male's face, emotionless ebony eyes staring out. "This is Uchiha Itachi, and he will train young Naruto-kun in the ways of the ninja."

"Very well, however, the boy will need a weapon if I am to train him properly."

"I know just the place, please, follow me." With that the aged Hokage led them out of his office.

The weapons shop that they had been led to wasn't very big, it wasn't very well known and it wasn't very popular, but it was the best place to get weapons to the few that knew of it. The small six year old, walked through the store, gazing at the many different weapons as if in a candy store. Naruto had already picked out two fuuma shurikan, both able to fold and rest on his forearms like guards. But he was still looking for one thing, he didn't know exactly what it was... until he saw it.

It was an odachi, the handle covered in red wrapping, strange and ornate symbols running down the five foot blade. Naruto reached out, green and red chakra flowing from his finger tips, absorbing into the blade, causing the blade to spring to life. The first thing to happen was that the odachi shortened in length, becoming a few inches bigger then the blonde boy. Lightning the color of blood surged to life, arching across the length of the blade. Naruto reached out, holding the blade in his hand. He didn't know why but he knew this was what he was looking for.

He couldn't understand it, but it felt _right_ holding the blade in his hand. As if it was always meant to be used by him, always meant to be held within his hand. It felt as if he wasn't complete, until he held the odachi, felt like his arm was now complete. Unseen by anyone, his eyes flashed from bright blue to a cold green, as if fighting for control. His naïve mind couldn't comprehend why he was drawn to this blade, only that there was... _something_. Something was drawing him to this blade, to use it and none would be able to stand against him. And yet another part of him simply felt like it was reunited with a long lost friend. He could not understand these feelings... but he knew one thing.

A smile spread across his lips, his wings flaring out behind him, this is the weapon he'd use to make his mother and father proud, this is the weapon he'd use to show that he wasn't the Kyuubi no Kitsune that attacked the village. He is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto the Ekipyougami(1) of Konoha, and Benitsune is his blade.

--

Deep within the young boy's mind, two different beings watched as Naruto chose his blade. "An interesting choice... though I suppose with _you_ here he wouldn't use any other type of weapon," a female voice said, coming from behind a large cage.

"It is not only myself who is responsible for the boy's choice. It _was_ your blade to begin with," the male voice said, though his held no emotion.

A grin, not unlike that of a fox, spread across the woman's face, "True, true. Still, I wonder when the young kit will come and visit us." When the woman received no reply she frowned, "You're no fun to talk to."

"Hmph," the male simply replied, his cold green eyes staring into nothing. His single black angel wing extending from his right shoulder blade flapping every once in awhile.

* * *

1) Ekipyougami- translates as Angel of Death

To be honest I had thought this up and it wouldn't leave me alone. So I thought that while I'm writing out my other stories this would be a nice break. What the plan for the furture of this fic? I have no idea just like I have no idea for a pairing... though I don't know if I want to leave it with just Hinata or give Naruto a small harem... I don't know. Well I've ranted long enough, please review. I'd like to know what you thought of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Naruto watched as three people fought on top of a large metal structure with a barrel attached, jutting out over the water below. What was this place? He had never seen anything like it. Granted, Naruto had never been outside of his village, Konoha, but where ever this place was it didn't look like it was anywhere inside of the Elemental Countries. Naruto continued to watch as a man with long silver hair fought against two others, one with short red hair and the other with short black hair.

He couldn't explain it, but somehow it felt as if _he_ were fighting instead of the man with silver hair. It almost felt as if he was wielding the sword that looked like it was as long as _Benitsune_. He could feel every swing, every block, every move as if it was his own. He watched as the red-head and silver-head went one on one; watched as they took their duel into the air. He saw the red-head launch what appeared to be fireballs from his hand. Naruto didn't know what that jutsu was, or if it even was jutsu, but whatever it was, his eight-year-old mind wanted to learn it.

The man with silver hair was blocked from view as the balls of fire hit him. Naruto could have sworn he felt the impact, could have sworn it was he himself within the dust cloud. The fight continued, the silver-haired man unscratched by the last attack, the barrel of the structure falling apart as it was sliced into pieces by a light beam sent from the blade. The two charged at each other, only to have their weapons blocked by the black-haired man. The red-head gathered energy into his hand for another blast; however, it was deflected by the sword, and the world shattered around them like glass. The figures were left standing in a room, the black-haired male's sword in two different pieces. The red-head said something, Naruto couldn't hear all of it, but he did make out one thing that was said, "Nothing shall forestall... my return." and before he knew what was happening, he bolted awake, finding himself in his bed.

Naruto took several breaths to calm himself after the... well he didn't know what to call it. It wasn't a dream, and it couldn't be one of his memories since he couldn't remember anything like it. It wasn't the first time something like that had happened either, only this one was different. Usually these... memories, for a lack of a better term, would show him different stances to use when fighting with _Benitsune_ and there was only one person, the male with the long silver hair. It was one of the reasons why he was getting so good with the odachi. He'd see the memory, then work on it with his adoptive father. Many of the stances took him weeks to master, but when he did, he'd see another one and the cycle would continue.

His ninja training with Itachi was going smoothly as well, under the ANBU Naruto was learning things that none of the academy teachers even bothered to show or explain to him. At first Itachi began with the lectures of what chakra is and how to apply it. Then he went on to teach about the different chakra exercises that would help him control the inner energy so that none would be wasted when doing jutsu. Itachi also went on to teach Naruto about taijutsu, or hand to hand combat. In order to do this, Itachi had Naruto wear weights on all of his limbs to help increase his strength, speed and endurance. Itachi had been clear that the weights were never to be taken off, though considering that these were gravity seals that would be impossible. The gravity seals were different from normal weights, in that the seals distributed the weight all over the body. The seals could also be increased or decreased with some chakra, this allowed the wearer to be able to decrease the weight discreetly without their opponent noticing.

After a quick shower, Naruto stared at himself in the mirror, still not believing the physical changes he had gone though. His hair was longer, reaching down to his shoulders, though still slightly spiky, along with several streaks of sliver running through it. The three whisker marks upon each cheek darkened, becoming more pronounced, but his eyes were the strangest thing. Naruto's eyes were a strange combination between a crystal blue and a cold green, the two colors swirling together yet never mixing. Though he had been told that there were times when one color was dominate, going from the soft and warm crystal blue to the cold piercing green.

After drying off, Naruto made his way to his walk in closet to get dressed. The eight-year-old now wore a black undershirt along with black pants. Over the pants he had the same knee-high boots that Lu Bu wore, only his were outlined in red instead of silver. Over all of this he wore a black long coat, clasping it at his waist and once above that as well. The final piece was the same helm that Lu Bu wore, and like the boots, had a red outline. More then once he had been teased by the other children because of it, but Naruto had decided to make it the Namikaze clan symbol and didn't really care what others thought about it. Gazing at the seal on his right wrist that held _Benitsune_, he sent some of his chakra into the seal, watching as the odachi appeared in his hand. Itachi had told him that the seal allowed him to summon the odachi whenever he needed and not worry about it being seen, or grow tired from wearing it on his back. Transferring some chakra to the seal caused the odachi to disappear back into the seal in a red mist.

"Naruto! Hurry or you'll be late for the academy!" His adoptive mother yelled from the first floor.

"Coming!" he yelled back, darting out of his room and down the stairs, only to be yanked to a stop as Diao Chan easily caught the collar of his coat. "Not funny, Kaa-san!" the eight-year-old whined, causing Diao Chan to giggle slightly at his antics.

"Alright let's go," Lu Bu said, coming up behind the two.

It was not that Lu Bu didn't trust his adoptive son to protect himself, however, there were still some drunken fools that acted against the boy. And even though Naruto had sworn that he would no longer take any beatings from the villagers, he couldn't hurt those that were intoxicated. And until someone else within the village could be found who didn't hate the boy, either Lu Bu, Diao Chan or both of them would make sure he got to the academy. But that wasn't the main reason for all three of them to head to the academy. Today was the Ninja Academy's introduction ceremony, where all ninja hopefuls, those from previous years and first years, though mostly for the first years, gathered and are introduced to their teachers and courses.

The ground in front of the academy was covered with chairs. All different families were gathering, though all of the parents were shooting Naruto glares and telling their children to stay away from him. The blonde boy, for his part, ignored them and tried to find someone within the sea of people. He had met her one day at the park last year. When he noticed she was being teased because of her shyness, being the kind boy that he was, he went over there to stop it. After chasing away the older kids, he turned to the girl, who he noticed had dark navy blue hair and pupil-less, lavender colored eyes. After that day, he and Hinata, who he learned was the girl's name, would play in the park as often as they could, quickly becoming friends. Though Naruto still never understood why Hinata would always blush when around him. When he asked his adoptive mother about it, Diao Chan's only response was to laugh softly and tell him he'd understand when he was older.

Spotting the young girl sitting with her family Naruto, ran forward to greet her and quickly claimed the seat next to her. "Hey, Hinata-chan!"

"H-hello, N-naruto-kun," the shy girl replied. As the two children talked to each other, oblivious to anything else, other children from important clans started to appear. There was the lazy brown-haired boy, Nara Shikamaru, his friend, the big-boned Akimichi Chouji. There was the young blonde girl, Yamanaka Ino, followed by the pink-haired Haruno Sakura, after her was the silent Aburame Shino. The next to appear was the dark haired Uchiha Sasuke, accompanied by his older brother, Uchiha Itachi and their mother, Uchiha Mikoto. The last to arrive was Inuzuka Kiba, who was hoping to sit next to Hinata himself only to be angered when he saw the young Namikaze sitting there.

A chuunin walked up to the podium and called for everyone's attention, "Hello and welcome, I am Umino Iruka, I and the other teachers at the academy will be teaching you children how to be proper shinobi." The speech went on to give a generalization of what the children would learn to become genin. Naruto wasn't paying attention, instead, he was more focused on training with his Angel's Wings. After reading the scroll his mother had left him, it said that the wings granted increased strength, speed and agility. The scroll also said that he'd be able to use ninjutsu without the aid of the hand signs. He'd have to ask Itachi if he would help him master his _kekkei genkai_.

Speaking of training, Naruto was getting restless, it was boring listening to the lectures of what they were going to learn, of what courses there would be, who the teachers would be and other dull stuff like that. His hand was itching to hold _Benitsune_ and spar against Lu Bu, to continue to train and make his parents proud, both adoptive and biological. It was a trait that his adoptive father had praised him for, and it was something that his adoptive mother had warned him about.

As the children were led off to begin their schooling, Hiashi, Hinata's father, was talking to Lu Bu, "The clan elders are pushing Hinata too far, too fast. I fear what this may do to her personality."

"So what is it that you want me to do about it?" Lu Bu had never been one for formalities.

"I know my daughter is too much like her mother, therefore I'm asking either yourself, or Diao Chan-san to train her," Hiashi said. He didn't like what the Hyuga Elders were doing, they all were going over his head and trying to get Hinata into the side branch of the clan, which would make Hinata a slave to the main branch in all but name. neither Hiashi, nor his wife, could ever allow that to happen.

"As I told Naruto when I adopted him, if you wish Hinata to train with us, she'll need a blade."

"She can have mine," Hitome, Hiashi's wife, said, standing next to her husband, their three year old daughter, Hanabi, resting on her hip. "I'm a retired shinobi and don't need it anymore. Besides, I've been looking for a reason to give it to Hinata."

"Of course, besides it'd do both of them some good to train with someone else," Diao Chan said.

Hiashi and Hitome bowed before saying, "Very well, we'll bring her over to the Namikaze estates when the classes are over."

--

Naruto's day at the academy was not going as well as he'd have liked it. The teachers were all ignoring him, and none of the other kids were talking to him. Not that it really bothered him that all of the teachers were ignoring him, all they were talking about was stuff that Itachi had already taught him. If this was all that the academy taught, then he'd be top of the class without any problems. Though there was one thing that was _really_ starting to get on the eight year old's nerves, and that was the way Kiba was acting. The Inuzuka child was as loud and arrogant as an eight year old could get. And it was starting to drive him insane!

Naruto could deal with the fact that none of the teachers would answer his questions. He could deal with the fact that none of the other students were talking to him. That was nothing new to him and he was used to it by now. But trying to take away his only friend?! That was unacceptable! Naruto was sorely tempted to bring out _Benitsune_ and teach the Inuzuka kid a lesson... but he knew that would displease his mother, and he had promised to be good. Of course, that didn't mean that he wouldn't do something later in the school year, just not today.

Hinata herself was starting to get agitated with Kiba's actions, and was immensely relieved when the day finally ended and their parents picked them up. Hinata was surprised to see that her mother was holding a katana in her hands. Not just any katana, but the one that the young Hyuga girl had seen her mother practice with once in awhile. The sheath was the purest white, the handle of the katana covered in light blue and pure white wrappings, a three foot white ribbon attached to the handle. Hitome knelt down in front of her daughter, the blade held out in front of her, "Hinata-chan, this is _Yukihime_. You'll be using her in your training with Lu Bu-san."

With trembling hands the Hyuga girl took the blade from her mother, holding it close to her chest. She followed her parents to where Naruto and his family were standing together. Hinata stepped forward, giving a small bow to the dark armored warrior, "I t-thank you f-for allowing m-me to t-train with y-you and N-naruto-k-kun."

Diao Chan smiled, turning to face Hiashi and Hitome, "We'll pick her up after classes and take over her training, if that is fine with you?"

Hiashi nodded, "That's fine. If she wishes she may remain for supper, however after that I expect Hinata to return to the clan compound."

"Understood, come children, there is much work to be done," Lu Bu said, walking away from the academy.

Naruto barely restrained himself from bouncing up and down in happiness. Finally, someone else that he could train with! Granted, Hinata did have a long way to go before she was at his current level, but that was nothing a little more training wouldn't fix. Perhaps Itachi-sensei could help teach Hinata and get her up to his level. Either way, this was going to be awesome! Not only could he spend more time with his friend, but he could also... alright, so there wasn't anything else. But that didn't matter to him, he could get to know Hinata more, that's all he cared about. And besides, he was getting tired of getting beaten constantly by his adoptive father and sensei.

Within his office, Sarutobi sighed, he was not having a good day. Many on the Konoha Council were calling to have Naruto killed... or at least have him expelled from the academy. The entire civilian side of the council, his old teammates, Koharu and Homura, along with the old war hawk of the council, Danzou, all feared that Naruto was in fact Kyuubi in human form. And no matter how many times Sarutobi had told them that the young blonde was no less human then them, they wouldn't hear it. How their fear clouded their judgment like the rest of the village.

What was worse, however, was the rumor that the Uchiha clan were planning a coup d'etat. Sarutobi had no way of knowing if it was just the clan, or if they were getting help; either way, he couldn't risk it. That was way he had assigned the one Uchiha who he knew was loyal to the village rather than the clan to act as a spy. The aged Hokage dreaded what could happen if the rumor proved to be true. It was a known fact that many of the Uchiha were arrogant, stubborn and self-centered, the only exceptions being Itachi himself, his mother, Mikoto, and his younger brother, Sasuke. Because of this, Sarutobi had the distinct feeling that any and all negotiations would fail... and that left only one thing to do that would preserve Konoha's future, but he would wait on that and see what happened first.

But first he had to deal with the stupidity of the council in trying to get Naruto out of the academy. Not that the civilian council could do anything _officially_, since it was a ninja academy and therefore fell under the rule of the shinobi half of the council. Normally this would worry him, however many on the shinobi council did not hate the boy for what he contains. They may not openly support the boy either, but at least they didn't do anything to cause the child harm. Sarutobi only prayed that it remained that way.

--

_(several months later)_

The time was now, there was no other way for Konoha to remain as it was. Itachi dreaded what he was ordered to do, but he knew there was no other way. His father and leader of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, was consumed by his lust for power... for his ambition to show that the Uchiha were the strongest. The entire clan must be destroyed if there was a chance to stop any future plans of a coup d'etat. But there were two Uchiha members that he wouldn't... couldn't kill, and that was his mother and younger brother. They, unlike the other Uchiha members were not arrogant or self-centered.

But he did fear what may happen to Sasuke's mentality when he found out what happened. He knew very well that Sasuke would be scarred... but he hoped his mother would be able to keep Sasuke from becoming like the other Uchiha members. Itachi knew that no one would be able to learn the real reason why he slaughtered the clan. As far as the world was concerned, Itachi had decided to test his skill level... and what better way then to take on an entire clan. And tonight was the perfect night to carry out his mission, the entire clan was gathered within the compound and Sasuke was still practicing at the academy.

Itachi jumped down, katana in hand, and sliced through the necks of the first two Uchiha that he came across. This, of course, alerted everyone, and they all came at him... and all of them were cut down. No jutsu were used, as that would alert other Konoha shinobi to what was happening... and that would ruin everything. So Itachi relied on his katana to kill off his clan, slicing through their necks or stabbing them through their hearts. He didn't like what was happening... but in order to make sure that the civil war and the sadness it would cause by the Uchiha's coup d'etat, it had to be done. Itachi wouldn't allow that, and he was willing to bear the blame of the entire Uchiha massacre. He was willing to become a traitor, all so that the village would remain intact.

Itachi walked into his own house, where he knew his coward of a father would be hiding, to find Fugaku using Mikoto as a human shield, "Itachi! What is the meaning of this!"

Itachi disappeared from sight, causing Fugaku who thought that Itachi had run away, to move Mikoto out of the way, though still close enough to use as a shield should he need it. However any thoughts of escaping alive were cut short when a katana appeared in his chest, "You were foolish... tou-san," Itachi said, ripping his katana out of the corpse.

Mikoto, afraid that she was next, backed away from her eldest son, "Itachi... why?"

Before Itachi could answer her, Sasuke burst into the room with a scream of "Tou-san! Kaa-san!" Itachi's eyes widened slightly, thinking quickly he drove his fist into his mother's stomach, "Forgive me... kaa-san," Itachi whispered before Mikoto lost consciousness. Turning to his younger brother, Itachi schooled his features into an emotionless mask... he couldn't have Sasuke find out the truth, that would only cause more harm to Sasuke's mentality.

Using his speed, Itachi punched Sasuke in the stomach, then lifting him up to eye level, the elder Uchiha's sharingan morphed, a three pointed shurikan pattern appearing in his eye. Activating the eye technique, _Tsukuyomi_(1), caused Sasuke to scream out in terror as he was forced to witness the slaughter of the entire Uchiha clan. "Pathetic, brother," Itachi whispered into Sasuke's ear, "Run, run and cling to life like the pathetic excuse of an Uchiha you are. If not, then hate me, despise me and when you have the same eyes as I have, seek me out." Itachi dropped Sasuke to the floor and made his way out.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled, charging forward. Itachi spun around and drove his fist into Sasuke's stomach, this time hard enough to force Sasuke into unconsciousness. And with that, Itachi disappeared, leaving behind two unconscious Uchiha among dozens of dead ones.

* * *

1) _Tsukuyomi_-- in this case is the technique that Itachi uses with his Mangekyou Sharingan, which is nothing more then an extremly powerful genjutsu. With it, Itachi can control whatever happens. It is said that it various between people, but perhaps it's more or less whatever Itachi feels like doing. On a side note, the technique is named after the moon goddess.

2) _Yukihime_-- I believe translates as Snow Princess. What it does, you'll have to wait and see.

Alright, so the second chapter is up... what do you people think? Of how I protrayed Itachi? Also, what of Hinata's new weapon? Well, I'll leave it at that... I think I've ranted enough. Please review, I'd like to know what you thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been four years since Itachi slaughtered the clan. Four years since Sasuke had turned into what Itachi feared... arrogant and self-centered. Of course, the civilian council spoiling the boy wasn't helping either. Mikoto did her best to stop the council, but even she could only do so much. Mikoto had, on more then one occasion, tried to keep Sasuke from becoming like the rest of the clan had been, but it was all in vain. Sasuke had sworn that he would kill Itachi and avenge the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had even gone so far as to unseal _it_ from the scroll it had been placed in..

_It_ being a sword that was said to have been used by Uchiha Madara, the founder of the clan, and it was also said that Madara never had been able to use its full power. The straight double-edged blade as red as blood, the handle and hand guard made of the purest silver, a purple colored jewel imbedded into the hilt at the base of the blade. Madara had called it _Genesis_, claiming that the blade signified the start of the Uchiha clan... or at least that's what the clan's history scrolls said. It also said that no matter how many tried to wield the blade, none could do so, at least to the extent that Madara had.

It was also said that Madara had been consumed by the power of the blade and that's the reason why he believed that the Uchiha were unbeatable. That was, until Senju Hashirama created the alliance with the Uchiha and several other clans to form Konohagakure no Sato. It was also at this time that both Hashirama and Madara battled each other to see who would be the first ruler of the village. It was said that the battle created became known as the Valley of the End, where Madara lost to Hashirama. Claiming that the Uchiha had grown weak, he exiled himself. He left _Genesis_ behind, saying that he wished for nothing to tie him to the clan that he felt betrayed his wishes. No one understood why Madara left that day, some say that he had been driven mad with power, some blamed _Genesis_ saying the sword had driven him mad. It was the reason why the Uchiha clan sealed the sword and forbidden anyone from using it, and that was the reason why Mikoto feared her youngest would follow the same path as Madara.

When Sasuke first unsealed _Genesis,_ he went to the Namikaze family and demanded that they train him. When Lu Bu denied him, saying that training both Naruto and Hinata was enough for him, Sasuke became so angered that he charged at the armor-clad warrior. That ended with the Uchiha child in the hospital with a broken rib or two. Of course, when they heard about it the civilian council once again tried to pamper the boy by ordering Lu Bu to train the young Uchiha. That order was met by Lu Bu shattering the council table and threatening that if any of them tried to order him around, it would be their heads that he smashed.

The council then ordered the sickly jounin, Gekkou Hayate, Konoha's sword master, to train Sasuke. Mikoto knew that Hayate was slowly dying. The doctors treated him enough to keep him alive, though it left Hayate with a constant cough. So whether Hayate was training Sasuke because he didn't want his fighting style to disappear or if he was simply following orders, Mikoto wasn't sure.

Another concern of Mikoto's was that the fact that Itachi had been training Naruto had somehow gotten out to the public. The fact that her eldest son was training the Namikaze boy didn't bother her at all, she considered herself one of the only two Uchiha that didn't view the boy as the demon he contained. As such she had no problems with Itachi teaching the boy the ninja arts. What was worrying was that the ignorant villagers believed the demon's 'taint' corrupted Itachi's mind, and wanted Naruto to be held accountable for the entire massacre. That, of course, had been stopped by the Sandaime, along with a good half of the shinobi council, including Mikoto herself. When asked about it, she replied, "That night wasn't like Itachi. He had always done something for his own reasons... whatever those reasons where that night, it wasn't caused by Namikaze Naruto."

Of course, what she _didn't_ tell the council was that she knew about her husband's power hungry ways. She knew of Fugaku's plan to turn Itachi into a second Madara, and she knew of Fugaku's, as well as the rest of the clan's plans for a coup d'etat. She suspected that Itachi knew as well, but for the sake of her youngest son, she had pretended not to know. And she was grateful that she had done so, for who knows what Itachi would have done if she had not played ignorant.

But her current problem lay with her youngest, Sasuke, who partially blamed Naruto for what happened to the clan. Mikoto believed that was the doing of the council who fed him lies of Naruto's 'evil' ways. It was why she was watching from the ninja academy's roof, over looking the training grounds where Iruka and Mizuki, the academy teachers, had taken out the genin hopefuls for taijutsu practice. "Alright, this is the taijutsu portion of the graduation exam, that means no ninjutsu or genjutsu, weapons however are allowed," Iruka said before calling the first match, which was between Sasuke and Naruto.

Naruto had kept what he had worn when he first came to the academy, the only difference were the two folded fuuma shuriken acting as forearm guards. Sasuke was wearing a dark crimson long coat with the Uchiha fan symbol on the back. The open coat fluttering in the wind revealed a blue shirt with tan khaki pants along with black ninja sandals underneath. _Genesis_ was held firmly in the Uchiha's hand as _Benitsune_ was in Naruto's hand, each waiting for the other to make a move. Iruka called the start of the match, and Sasuke charged first, putting Naruto on the defensive. The shorter and faster schiavona being able to deliever quicker strikes then the larger odachi.

Which is not to say that Naruto couldn't turn the match around, the Namikaze had been training with _Benitsune_ far longer then the Uchiha had been with _Genesis_. Naruto did want to see how good the Uchiha was, so the Namikaze held back. If Naruto really felt like it, he could end the match fairly quickly, but where was the challenge in that. It may have been something that he picked up from his adoptive father, though his mother continuously told him the danger in playing with your opponent. Not that it really mattered against the Uchiha heir, Naruto would admit Sasuke was good, but he was simply better. Sidestepping the vertical slash, the blonde blocked the next strike aimed at his head.

Sasuke jumped away, throwing several kunai as he did so before spinning around to block _Benitsune _as Naruto appeared behind him. Naruto kicked the Uchiha away, charging some of his chakra into the blade, causing the lightning around the odachi to pulse stronger, and charged at the Uchiha. Sasuke charged some of his own chakra into _Genesis_, causing the blade to be engulfed by fire, and met Naruto's charge with his own. Their blades met with a clang, both of the young swordsmen pushing against the other as their blades locked. "Is that the best you can do, Uchiha?" Naruto asked with a slight smirk on his face, sounding like he was bored with the entire fight.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger, before jumping back and going through several different hand signs. "_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_(1)!" The Uchiha shouted out, breathing out a giant fireball at the Namikaze, the blonde didn't move even as he was engulfed by the raging inferno of the _Goukakyuu_. Iruka was about to unleash one of the water techniques that he knew, however a strong gust of wind blew the flames away revealing Naruto, unharmed and Angel's Wings extended outwards. Sasuke and Naruto charged at each other again, however Iruka's yell stopped their blades inches away from the other, "ENOUGH! Sasuke is disqualified, therefore Naruto wins by default!"

"But Iruka-sensei that's not fair! Sasuke-kun should be allowed to continue to fight!" Haruno Sakura shouted, having become one of the many devoted and love sick fans of the Uchiha's.

"No, Sakura, Sasuke broke the rules by using ninjutsu. Naruto, on the other hand, used his _kekkei genkai_ to shield him from the flames." Before anymore protests could be made Iruka continued, "The next match shall be Haruno Sakura against Hyuga Hinata."

Having trained with both Lu Bu and Diao Chan changed Hinata more then anyone could have expected. No longer was Hinata shy nor did she have low self-esteem. Instead she was confident and many had said that she picked up more then a few things from Diao Chan. The first was the length of her midnight blue hair reaching about her mid-back. The second was the style of clothing. No longer did Hinata wear baggy clothes that hid her figure. Instead she wore a sleeveless lavender kimono, having opted to replace the sleeves with dark purple above the elbow gloves. The kimono ended half way down her calf, with slits that ran up both sides stopping at about her mid-thighs, allowing her to maintain the needed maneuverability for her fighting style. Under this Hinata wore thigh-high tights as well as the same style of shoes that Diao Chan wore. She had tried wearing the shinobi sandals but found that those didn't allow her the flexibility she needed for her fighting style. The dark purple obi around her waist which held _Yukihime_ completed the look.

Iruka started the match with Sakura making the first move by throwing a number of kunai at the Hyuga girl. Hinata spun on her toes, easily avoiding the sloppily thrown kunai, settling into the juuken stance of the Hyuga clan, activating her byakugan as she did so. Sakura rushed forward, fully intent on smashing her fist into the Hyuga's, only to find herself face first in the ground. Getting irritated Sakura shot to her feet and spun around, her fist cocked back. Hinata twirled to face Sakura's back and drove both her palms into the pink-haired girl's back. The force of the impact once again sent Sakura smashing into the ground.

Sakura, angered that she was being humiliated in front of 'her Sasuke-kun', charged the Hyuga heiress again. Hinata easily ducked under the sloppy punch, driving her palms into the pink-haired girl's stomach and dropping her to the ground. Sakura tried getting to her feet, coughing as she did so, only to feel a foot press down on her back and a blade positioned against the back of her neck. "Winner of this match, Hyuga Hinata!" The match ended; Hinata returned _Yukihime_ to its sheath, walking over to stand next to Naruto.

Ever since the two had started to train, Naruto and Hinata had grown a lot closer then mere friends, though neither would admit their feelings. What was unknown to the two young teens however, was the fact that they were both arranged to be married when they were older. Hiashi, fearing what the Hyuga Elders would do with Hinata, went with Hitome to see Lu Bu and Diao Chan. Hiashi expressed his fears that the elders would try to pull something behind his back and and sell off Hinata to some royal in a marriage. Diao Chan agreed with them, and encouraged it, hoping that Hinata could keep Naruto from becoming too obsessed with fighting.

The rest of the day was spent on the ninjutsu portion of the graduation exam. Many of genin hopefuls opted to perform the basic _Bunshin no Jutsu_(2), or in Sasuke's case, show off with the _Goukakyuu no Jutsu_. Naruto also showed off by shooting a lightning bolt from his hand, which struck Mizuki, causing his pale hair to stand on end.

By the end of the day when all of the parents came to pick up their children, many of the academy students had passed the final exam. Naruto was sitting on a swing waiting for his adopted parents, when Mizuki walked up to him saying, "Naruto, would you like a real challenge?"

"And that would be?" Naruto asked, not trusting the academy teacher. The blonde knew that Mizuki hated him, so he was a little cautious.

"In the Hokage's office, there is a scroll, the 'Forbidden Scroll' it's called. If you could acquire this scroll, and show me that you learned one skill from it, then there might be something... extra, you could earn," Mizuki said, trying to keep himself from smirking.

Naruto's instincts instantly flared, the blond may not know what the white-haired academy teacher was planning, but he knew Mizuki was up to something. And whatever that something was, it could be good for him, or for the village. So he did the one thing that Itachi had taught him, play along until you know what's happening or get it to turn out in your favor. Besides, he could use the challenge.

--

Later that night, Naruto was flying through the skies, the scroll on his back. When Naruto had gone to get the scroll, the Hokage was in his office, so the blonde told Sarutobi what Mizuki told him. The Hokage explained that Mizuki had been under watch for awhile now; all they needed was proof that the academy teacher was traitorous. The original plan was for Naruto to meet Mizuki in the forest and have a trusted jounin to act as back up, but Naruto would have none of that saying that he was more then enough to handle Mizuki. Sarutobi couldn't argue, he had seen Lu BU take on and defeat several of the best jounin in the village. The aged leader knew that Naruto wouldn't have a problem.

Landing a clearing within the forest that surrounded Konoha, Naruto removed the scroll from his back, placing it down next to him. And so Naruto waited, sitting against one of the many trees for Mizuki to show. He waited all night, though the person that found him wasn't Mizuki, "Naruto, what do you think you're doing?! Taking the Forbidden Scroll! What would your parents think if they found out about this!" Iruka yelled at him.

Naruto was confused, the Hokage said no one else would know what was happening, and wouldn't alert the other ninja, so why was Iruka here? Naruto was about to warn Iruka when the scarred chuunin was sent flying into the shed that was in the clearing, pinned by several kunai. Mizuki landed in the clearing, a giant shuriken already in hand, "I have to thank you Iruka, for finding him for me. Now die demon!" Mizuki shouted, throwing the giant shuriken at the blonde.

Naruto didn't move, even as Iruka shouted for him to get out of the way, he didn't have to move as ice erupted from the ground, encasing the thrown shuriken inches away from him. Naruto turned his head slightly, "It took you long enough... Hinata-chan." Naruto had sensed Hinata following him from the ground ever since he had flew out of the Hokage's office. Hinata pulled _Yukihime_ from the ground, walking over to Naruto and hitting him over the head, "Next time tell me when you're doing something like this."

Mizuki took this time to speck up, "Well, well, well, the Hyuga heiress... I'm sure they'll pay quite nicely if I brought you to Kumogakure. But before that, Naruto, you want to know why you're hated by everyone in the village?" Mizuki ignored Iruka's yells about it being forbidden to talk about, not even waiting for Naruto's answer, "That's because you are the Kyuubi no Kitsune! The very same demon that ravaged this village and killed Iruka's parents twelve years ago!"

"Is that all you're going to say?" Naruto said, sounding very bored and wanting to fight something.

"W-what do you mean?" Mizuki asked, wondering why Naruto wasn't frozen in fear as he expected, or why the Hyuga girl wasn't cowering away from said blonde.

"I've known about the fox for seven years now, and Hinata has known since she started training with my family," Naruto said, his wings flaring out, _Benitsune_ appearing in his hand, "As for you, Mizuki-teme, for betraying Konohagakure no Sato, and breaking the Sandaime's law stating that the truth about the Kyuubi was never to be spoken about... you are sentenced to death."

"Just try it demon! I'll kill you, I'll kill Iruka, and I'll sell the Hyuga girl to Kumo! There's nothing a mere academy student like you could do that could stop me!" Mizuki yelled, taking the second giant shuriken from its holster on his back and spinning it like a buzz-saw.

"Naruto, Hinata, get out of here! Take the scroll and run!" Iruka yelled, trying to move but the poison that was on the kunai was keeping him pinned to the shed's wall. He pulled the kunai out of his body and tried to shield both children as Mizuki let the shuriken fly, only to stop in his tracks as the shuriken was split in two. Iruka gazed at his two students, trying to figure out what had happened, that's when he noticed what had happened to Hinata's katana.

Instead of the normal blade, it had seemingly separated into pieces, all of which were held together by a chain, giving the appearance of a whip. "Hinata-chan, help Iruka-sensei. I'll deal with the traitor." Hinata gave a small nod, _Yukihime_ returning to its original form and placing it in its sheath.

"Just try it demon! I'll take you down in one blow!" Mizuki yelled, taking out a kunai and readying himself.

"Iruka-sensei stopped me before I could pull this off in my match against the Uchiha, but let's see if you could survive," Naruto said, focusing his chakra into the odachi, the lightning once again pulsing. Naruto flew at the chuunin, keeping himself a few inches off the ground as Mizuki charged forward as well. The only evidence that either one of them did anything was the sparks caused by the kunai and odachi hitting. That was until Mizuki fell to the ground in two separate pieces, cut cleanly in half at the waist. Naruto lowered himself to the ground, returning _Benitsune_ to its seal, his wings disappearing back into his shoulder blades.

"Naruto, what... was that about?" Iruka asked while Hinata continued to heal some of his wounds.

"Let's get back to the Hokage, he'll explain everything," Naruto said, helping Iruka to his feet. Hinata took the scroll in her hands and the three of them left the clearing, leaving Mizuki's corpse behind.

* * *

(1) _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ translates as Fire Style: Grand Fireball technique. This jutsu is said to be known by all members of the Uchiha clan.

(2) _Bunshin no Jutsu_ translates as Clone Technique. A simple jutsu that all academy students can use.

On another note, yes, yes Sasuke is using Genesis's sword from Crisis Core and yes I named that sword _Genesis_. Why I did this? You'll have to wait and see about that. Now, about _Yukihime_, I had already thought of giving it the ability of turning it into a whip long before I started playing Soul Calibur 4 (which is an awesome game!). Some one had wondered if Hinata was going to learn anything from Diao Chan, so I had already planned that out.

So, what did you think about the new Hinata in this story? You've seen a small sample of what _Yukihime_ can do, again what do you think? Or better yet, what do you think about the fact that Sasuke appears to be turning into Genesis? And don't forget to say anything else you thought about the chapter. Please review and see you next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto!" Oh crap, he was in trouble. His adoptive mother never used his full name unless she was extremely angry at him, "What were you thinking!? You could have been hurt! Or worse, killed!" Diao Chan stood in front of her son, arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed as she stared down at her son. Lu Bu stood off to the side, a proud smile gracing his lips.

"But Kaa-san! Mizuki boasted more then he actually fought, and besides for a chuunin he was pretty weak," Naruto said, slightly irritated that his mother wasn't happy that he was able to kill a traitor, at least his father was proud of him.

"I don't care if his skills were that of a genin! You don't go off like that without at least _telling_ us what you are doing!" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow, Diao Chan was never this angry at _anyone_. "Now up to your room and don't come down until I say otherwise!" Naruto was about to object but Diao Chan cut him off, "NOW!" As Naruto reluctantly made his way up the stairs, Diao Chan called after him, "And don't let me catch you sneaking out of your room again!"

Lu Bu walked up behind his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders to help calm her down, "Perhaps you were a little harsh on the boy."

Diao Chan let out a tired sigh before leaning into her husband's chest, "You would have done nothing more than praise the boy for winning and increased his training. One of us needs to discipline the boy for what he pulled... weren't you worried about him?"

"Hai, I was," Lu Bu said, his hands starting to knead her shoulders, "But I also have faith in his skills... skills that I taught him, skills that earned him the title of 'Rookie of the Year' at the academy." A small moan escaped Diao Chan's lips as Lu Bu's hands continued to knead her shoulders, it was taking all of her willpower not to... stop thinking like that... but god was he great with his hands.

"You are right, of course my beloved, but what he pulled was still dangerous. He could have gotten himself hurt, or worse, he could have gotten Hinata or Iruka hurt. He needs to understand that being reckless, despite having faith in one's skills, can still lead to someone getting hurt or getting yourself killed. And for that he'll remain in his room until the time comes for him to return to the academy," Diao Chan said, barely able to get it pass the moans coming out of her mouth. How was it that he always knew just _how_ to help clam her down? Was she simply that easy to read? Or was it only something that her beloved Lu Bu was able to do? She really didn't care either way, for now she would simply enjoy it.

--

To say that Naruto was pissed would be an understatement, it was taking all of his control not to bash Sasuke's or Sakura's heads into the desk. Sasuke was being more arrogant then usual and Sakura was just plain driving him insane as she continued to fawn over the Uchiha. And then there was Inuzuka Kiba who was sending Hinata obvious perverted looks, even for a twelve year old... all of this was doing nothing to help calm him down. The only thing that was really keeping him from acting out were Hinata's soft and delicate hands massaging his shoulders.

They were all waiting for Iruka to arrive and announce what teams the graduating genin would be on. And Naruto prayed that he wouldn't be on the same team as Sakura, since she was nothing more then a hindrance. Naruto would admit that the pink-haired girl was smart for her age, but books-smart is meaningless on an actual battlefield. He could deal with being on the same team as Sasuke, though Naruto made no promise that he wouldn't hurt the Uchiha boy if his arrogance annoyed him. Though Naruto doubted that Sasuke would be willing to work with _anyone_, even so Naruto would at least try to make the best of it if Sasuke ended up on his team. He did know that Hinata would be on his team, they had been training together since they were young, they knew the other's strengths and weaknesses and they compensated each other.

Iruka walked into the class, calling for everyone's attention and started to talk about how they were shinobi, the responsibilities that came with that title and generally congratulating those that had passed the test. Finally after a long and dull speech, Iruka announced the teams, "Team Seven will be Namikaze Naruto, Hyuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke," There were several groans from the females that were disappointed that they weren't on Sasuke's team, "Team Eight shall be Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura. Team Nine is still active from last year so Team Ten will be Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji.," Naruto ignored the last of the teams being called, before Iruka said, "Your jounin sensei shall arrive to pick you up after lunch, until then you're all dismissed."

Many of the new genin took this time to get together with their new teammates, Sasuke, however, stood, ignored Sakura who was trying to get him to go to lunch with him, and walked over to stand next to Naruto, "Fight me," he said simply removing _Genesis_ from his belt and positioning it at the Namikaze's throat.

"Sasuke, we're teammates now. Neither of us may like it but we might as well get used to it... and besides, I'm trying to relax until our sensei comes," Naruto said, backhanding the blade away, only to snap the fuuma shuriken open to block the swing Sasuke made. "I told you Sasuke, I'm not interested in fighting you." Naruto pushed _Genesis_ away and snapped the fuuma shuriken back into its folded state. "Come one, Hinata-chan, I want to talk to the Hokage about something." And with that the two young genin left a slightly irritated Uchiha.

Naruto and Hinata found the Sandaime in his office, buried behind a pile of paperwork. Though from the pipe in the older man's mouth and his relaxed posture, it was clear Sarutobi was taking a break. "Do you have a sense of humor, old man!?" Naruto asked, barely keeping his voice under control as he slammed the door shut.

Sarutobi gave a kind smile before saying, "I don't know what you mean, Naruto." Though one could clearly see the small smirk playing on the aged Hokage's face.

"You know damn well what I mean! Putting me on the same team as that Uchiha-teme!" Naruto yelled out, loosing what little control over the volume of his voice that he had.

"Naruto, normally the teams would be balanced in skill level, because you, Sasuke, and Hinata were the top three in the class, you all would be placed on different teams. However because you three have the most potential of becoming katana wielding masters, we didn't do that this year," Sarutobi reasoned. Naruto admitted that the aged Hokage was right, the three of them did have the most potential, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Before Naruto could say anything the door burst open and a spiky-black haired kid no older then eight, came running in, only to trip on the extremely long scarf that was wrapped around his neck. The child got up before turning to Naruto and Hinata and saying, "You tripped me didn't you!?"

"Tch, I don't have time for you kid, so scram," Naruto said. Hinata sighed, he really needed work on his interactions with little kids. Before Naruto could address the Hokage, a jounin wearing sunglasses and a bandanna came into the room. The jounin started to talk to the child about not running off and skipping training. Then he noticed who else was in the room and glared at Naruto. Said Namikaze rolled his eyes, he didn't have time for this. "Fine then. Come Hinata-chan, we'll be late to meet our new sensei." With that Naruto and Hinata disappeared in a swirl of feathers and snow.

The eight year old turned to the Hokage and asked, "Who were they, gramps?"

Sarutobi gave a small smile, "They, Konohamaru, were Namikaze Naruto and Hyuga Hinata, two of the best genin we have." Konohamaru thought this over a few minutes, wondering if this Naruto person could help train him to become Hokage. But first the small child would have to escape from his private tutor's watch.

Naruto and Hinata reappeared in the academy class, finding everyone gone save for Sasuke. The three teens waited in silence for a good two hours before the door opened. A man stepped in, wearing the standard clothes of a jounin, a mask that covered the lower half of his face as well as the forehead protector that slanted downwards to cover his left eye as well as keep his silver hair spiked upwards. The jounin took a moment to look over the teens in the room and said, "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." The jounin disappeared in a poof of smoke while Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto all disappeared in a swirl of fire, snow and feathers respectfully.

Seconds later the four of them were all sitting on the roof, well the teens were, the jounin was leaning against the railing. "Now, for introductions, say your likes, dislikes, that sort of thing."

"But, sensei, shouldn't you go first so we get to know you better?" Hinata asked. The jounin took a moment to think before saying, "Me? Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi, I have likes, a few dislikes and you don't need to know what my dreams for the future are," Kakashi said in a lazy tone before pointing to Hinata, "You're next Hyuga."

"My name is Hyuga Hinata. My likes are training, cinnamon rolls, Naruto-kun and dancing. My dislikes include those who hate Naruto-kun and those who think they're better then someone else simply because of their clan. And my dream for the future is to be with Naruto-kun and help him with his dream," Hinata said before Kakashi pointed to Naruto.

"The name's Namikaze Naruto. I like fighting, finding stronger opponents to fight and Hinata-chan. My dislikes are those who hate someone for no good reason, and weaklings who think they're stronger then others. And my dream... is to make my parents proud."

Kakashi gave a small nod before saying, "And last but not least." Sasuke grunted before saying, "Uchiha Sasuke. I like very little and dislike a lot, and my dream... no, my ambition, is to revive my clan and kill the one responsible for destroying it," Sasuke said in his usual arrogant voice.

"What an interesting group of genin you are. Well, meet at training ground seven tomorrow mourning at eight, I'll be giving you a test." Kakashi said, and as an afterthought he added, "Oh and don't eat breakfast, you'll regret it if you do." Leaving no room for question Kakashi once again vanished in a poof of smoke.

Before Naruto could get up and return home, he found _Genesis_ at his throat with Sasuke glaring at him, "As I said earlier... fight me." Naruto sighed, if it would shut the Uchiha up the young Namikaze would fight, besides, he could use the workout. Hinata shook her head slightly, could these two go _one minute_ without fighting the other?

Naruto stood, _Benitsune_ appearing in hand, his wings flaring out behind him, flapping a few times in anticipation. Sasuke moved first, stabbing forward with _Genesis_, Naruto tilted his head to the side to avoid the blade and bringing _Benitsune_ out in a horizontal strike. Sasuke spun in the air, bringing _Genesis_ out to strike even while he was still rotating. Naruto jumped up, kicking the dark-haired teen down onto the grounds of the Academy where a bunch of students quickly got out of the way. Naruto calmly floated down and hovered in front of Sasuke, "Enough of this, Uchiha. You're outmatched and outclassed, you can't beat me."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, _Genesis_ lighting up in flames once again as the Uchiha heir charged at the winged Namikaze. Red lightning once again charged across _Benitsune_'s blade, Naruto flying at Sasuke like he did against Mizuki. "ENOUGH!" Hinata yelled, landing between the two teens. The sound of metal against metal resounded across the courtyard as _Yukihime_ blocked both _Genesis_ and _Benitsune_ with Hinata's blade separating into whip form to coil around the other blades. "This is no way for teammates to act! Not to mention you could have hurt one of the younger academy students!"

"Like I care!" Sasuke shouted, the fire around _Genesis_ increasing in strength, pushing against the other two blades. _Yukihime _lit up in a soft blue, ice spreading out from the blade to freeze the fire surrounding _Genesis_. The ice surrounding the schiavona shattered, _Yukihime_ returning to katana form, "Now, stop this foolishness," Hinata said, her voice as cold as ice. Was she the only level-headed person on this newly formed team?

Sasuke returned _Genesis_ to his belt, glaring one last time at both Naruto and Hinata before walking away. Hinata returned her katana to its sheath as the odachi disappeared back into the seal on Naruto's wrist. Hinata rounded on Naruto, arms crossed over her chest and Naruto couldn't help but think how much she looked like Diao Chan when his mother was mad. "And you should know better! Now I see why Diao Chan's so worried about you getting into something you wouldn't be able to overcome! Not to mention what could have happened to the children if both of you had gotten out of hand!"

Anything further that Hinata may have planned on saying was cut short as the various academy students encircled Naruto and started to shout about how awesome that was and if they could be taught how to do it. Hinata's features softened at this, Naruto may not know it, but he was starting to warm up to the little kids. Hinata secretly wondered to herself if he would make a wonderful father, then threw that thought out of her mind as she _knew_ that Naruto would make a wonderful father when the time came. "Hey! Back off! I saw him first that means he has to train me!" The same kid from the Hokage's office, Konohamaru, yelled. As the other kids went off to their other classes, Konohamaru stayed behind, "So you going to teach me?"

Naruto raised one hand, flicking the kid on his forehead, "I have neither time nor the interest to train you." Perhaps Naruto still needed to work on his skills with children, Hinata thought.

"Ah but why not! I'm the grandson of the Sandaime Hokage! Besides I need the strongest person to train me so I can become Hokage!" Konohamaru shouted back, rubbing his forehead to remove the slight sting that the flick left.

"That's why. You think that just because you're the grandson of the Hokage that you can get whatever it is that you want? If you really want to become Hokage then let me tell you something... training is the only way. That's what my adoptive father taught me, that's how he trained me, and that's how I became so strong. My father didn't care about what my kekkei genkai could do, he didn't care what advantages it gave me and he didn't care if I used it in our sparring. All he cared about was that I was growing in strength," Naruto paused here, his wings flapping in agitation. "One final piece of advice kid, train and train and train until you can hardly move. Only then will you become truly strong and achieve your dream." With that Naruto turned and left, leaving behind new ideas forming in Konohamaru's mind.

--

The next day found the members of Team Seven waiting for their sensei to show up. They had already been waiting for two hours and still Kakashi had not shown up. Sasuke was being his usual self and sitting off to the side, ignoring the other two team members. Naruto and Hinata were both taking a sort nap, and though neither of them were aware of it Hinata was resting her head on Naruto's shoulder while his own head was resting on top of Hianta's.

Finally Kakashi arrived, and awoke the two sleeping teens. Kakashi, then began to explain the test that he had prepared, "You have two hours to get these bells," Kakashi raised his hand, jingling two silver bells before attaching them to his belt, "From me. The one that doesn't returns to the academy and repeats the year. Good luck." The three teens scattered and Kakashi took out an orange covered book and began to read.

In the surrounding woods Naruto and Hinata hid within the trees, both concealing themselves and keeping an eye on Kakashi. "So what's the plan, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked softly, so as to not give away their position.

"I want to see what Kakashi is able to do before we make a move. No doubt, the Uchiha will get annoyed and make the first move. We either wait to see what Kakashi can do, or we can join the Uchiha. Doesn't matter either way," Naruto replied, his voice equally as low. Naruto watched in silence as Sasuke took on Kakashi, charging head first into the fight. Naruto watched as Kakashi easily kept up with the Uchiha's attacks, either avoiding them completely or blocking _Genesis_ with a kunai.

Watching a fight, however, caused Naruto to become restless, his hand tightening around _Benitsune_. But he knew if he charged head first without knowing what Kakashi could do, he'd be beaten. It was, after all, the first thing that his mother had taught him, "Know what your opponent can do and if you plan around that, then you will win." That's what he would do, he'd let the Uchiha face Kakashi first, and when he knew more about the jounin's abilities, then he and Hinata would make their move. _"Then again,"_ Naruto thought as he watched Sasuke get buried up to his neck in the ground, _"This may prove to be harder then I first thought."_ The young Namikaze gave a slight nod to Hinata as he jumped down into the clearing.

Hinata, knowing what it was that Naruto wanted her to do, went off to find and delay Kakashi while he talked to Sasuke. She found Kakashi standing in a clearing, reading his book once again. Taking _Yukihime_ in her hand, Hinata stabbed the blade into the ground, watching as ice formed around it. The sheet of ice slowly made its way towards the jounin, springing up from the ground entrapping Kakashi. Hinata narrowed her eyes, it shouldn't have been that easy. She rolled to the side as the ice block exploded, and several kunai imbedded themselves in the ground where she just was. She returned to her feet, _Yukihime_ already in whip form, Byakugan eyes activated and searching her surroundings for any sign of Kakashi.

Hinata ducked, spinning on her toes and whipping out _Yukihime_ to block the second hail of kunai. Hinata spun on her toes once again, lashing out with her katana and sliced through the branch Kakashi had been hiding in. Even as Kakashi landed on his feet, he had to duck lower as the katana turned whip tried to wrap around his neck. Hinata charged forward, _Yukihime_ returned to katana form and glowing a soft blue, slashed forward aimed at the jounin's head. Kakashi blocked with a kunai only to let go as the kunai was encased in ice. Kakashi went to punch, but Hinata spun around, _Yukihime_ slicing through Kakashi's waist. Hinata growled as a log fell to the ground, her eyes already scanning the area around her. She returned _Yukihime_ to it's sheath, jumping up into the trees to make her way towards where Naruto was already fighting against Kakashi.

Naruto was getting annoyed. Not only did the Uchiha turn down his offer of working together to get those bells off of Kakashi, but Kakashi's constant dodging of his strikes was really starting to annoy the young Namikaze. He had thought watching Hinata fight against Kakashi would give him amble information on Kakashi's skills, though Naruto still underestimated the jounin's reflexes. A smirk made its way onto Naruto's face as Hinata landed behind Kakashi, the smirk only grew wider when Sasuke also landed behind Kakashi. The three new genin formed a triangle, surrounding Kakashi and preventing him from escaping. "Change your mind Uchiha?" Naruto asked.

"Hmph, like I care what happens to you, but I am not letting you get one of those bells," Sasuke said, _Genesis_ ablaze in crimson flames. The glow around _Yukihime_ returned, chilling the air around the katana creating a small mist. Crimson lightning surged around _Benitsune_ as if in anticipation of the fight to come. All in all, these three teens were ready to go all out and Kakashi was having doubts that he could hold his own against their combined skill.

The three teens attacked as one, _Yukihime_ sending out another sheet of ice as it was stabbed into the ground, _Genesis_ unleashing a wave of fire and _Benitsune_ launching several bolts of lightning as it was slammed onto the ground. The three attacks hit Kakashi dead on, a dust cloud exploding outwards, blocking everything from sight. When the dust settled there was nothing there except a crater, causing the three teens to spin around, backing up until they were all back to back. "Hinata-chan, where his he?!" Naruto asked. Hinata's eyes darted about, trying to pinpoint Kakashi's position.

"I don't see him anywhere!" Hinata answered, her eyes still scanning the surrounding area in case she missed something. Naruto cursed under his breath, Kakashi must have switched himself with something else to avoid the attack. "Wait," Hinata said, her eyes focusing on the ground below them, "Jump!" Hinata yelled, even as three pairs of hands burst from the ground. Naruto and Hinata easily avoided it, Sasuke, on the other hand, was not so lucky as he was once again buried in the ground up to his neck.

Hinata struck her katana into the ground one more time, the ice sheet spreading out covering the entire clearing. Kakashi had not expected his feet to instantly be encased in ice as he landed from the jump he preformed to avoid the ice. An explosion of fire alerted everyone of Sasuke breaking free, and before anyone could react, Sasuke appeared next to Kakashi, sweeping the bells from their place on the jounin's belt. Relaxing his stance, Kakashi began to clap, "Well done, out of all my years doing this you're the first batch of genin that were able to get the bells off of me. However there still remains the problem of who will get the other bell and who would be returning to the academy."

Sasuke was about to say how he wasn't going to give the other bell to either Hinata or Naruto, but Naruto spoke up, "It's as Itachi-sensei told me when he first started training me. 'Your teammates are your most important allies, never lose faith in them and never abandon them.' We showed you we can work as a team, though the Uchiha was rather... reluctant, at first."

"Well then, you all pass. Welcome to Team Seven!" Of course, what Kakashi didn't tell them was that the council had ordered him to pass the Uchiha's team _regardless _of the outcome of the test. Kakashi went to move but then remembered he was still trapped in ice, "Hinata, would you mind freeing me?" Hinata pulled _Yukihime_ from the ground and returned it to its sheath on her obi, the ice melting and absorbing into the ground. "Well, Team Seven met back her tomorrow to begin missions." With that the newly formed team left the training area.

* * *

And so ends chapter 4. So, who saw Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto on the same team? I know it's been done before but it wasn't like this. Well, there really isn't anything to ask, except, maybe, how long you think Naruto will put up with Sasuke arrogance and harm the Uchiha? I'm kidding you don't have to answer that. On another note, I have decided to give Naruto a small harem this includes Hinata, FEM Haku, and Yugito. I'm thinking about adding Shion (4th movie) and maybe, maybe adding both Kyuubi and Nibi just for the hell (pun intended) of it. So what do you think? Well that's all, see you next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A sea of green, that's all he could see around him, all he could feel, all he could sense. He couldn't even remember what had happened that caused this, how he had ended up where ever he was, and he couldn't even remember if he was alive or if he was dead. He couldn't remember his past nor could he remember his name... though he did remember the letter 'G' for some reason. Was that his name? Or was that a part of his name and he simply couldn't remember the rest? But there were a few things he remembered. He remembered training and growing up with a black-haired kid and a silver-haired kid, though he could not recall any names.

He remembered a book, LOVELESS it was called, it was also his favorite remembered, carrying it around with him every where he went. He had always wondered what the 'gift of the goddess' was that the book talked about, and so he read the book, time and time again. But the book had been missing the final chapter, and this left him trying to figure it out. Eventually it became such a favorite that he often quoted from it, sometimes hoping that someone else may have an idea of what the 'gift' was, and other times as a means to get a point across.

"_My friend, the fates are cruel,"_ Who... who was talking. Was that him? But he would know if he was talking out loud... wouldn't he? _"There are no dreams, no honor remains."_ What did that mean? It made no sense... wait... he remembered now. He remembered everything. He remembered _her_._ "The arrow left the bow of the goddess."_ The one he thought was the _goddess_ that his favorite book had always been talking about. He remembered how she looked away as he was cast into oblivion, never to see, never to feel and never to live again. It was _her_ fault, all he ever wanted to do was please her, to _know_ what her gift was, yet he was thrown aside like so many other times.

"_My friend, do you fly away now?"_ No, no, it wasn't his fault that he left. He didn't want to die and he didn't want to leave, but _she _forced him, turning him into nothing and taking everything away. But at the point in time what had he had left but his dreams? He would not let some _goddess _tell him what he could do. He had done it in his belief for her so why had he been punished? No, he would live once again, all he needed was something that could keep his spirit, his dreams, his power alive. But what and where? _"To a world that abhors you and I?"_ Now what happened? The sea of green that he had been banished to suddenly turned into a raging inferno. The flames licking his body, yet never burning him or his clothes. Where was he? He couldn't be in the world that he had grown up in, he knew that much when he was blown into oblivion. "This blade... shall be called _Genesis_! For it is the start of the mighty Uchiha Clan!" Who was that? He had no memory of that voice. And why could he _hear_ the voice yet not _see_ or_ feel _anything but this raging inferno? What had happened to him?

"_There is no hate, only joy; For you are beloved by the goddess."_ Was this some kind of gift from _her_? And if it indeed was, then what was it? And why him? Or was this something that _she_ wanted to show him? Something that _she_ thought he needed to learn? And if so then why hadn't it been his silver-haired friend, who was called a hero, given this gift. But he didn't care, he was always jealous of his friend. _He_ wanted to be considered a hero, to have that fame and glory all his own. _"Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds."_ That's all he ever really wanted... or at least until he found out the truth of his birth. _"Pride is lost."_ It was shortly after a training duel between him and his two friends that he had learned the truth. He had been injured during it, and it was during his recovery that the truth of his birth was revealed. He was experimented on even before he left his mother's womb, crafted to be the ultimate SOLDIER within the Shin-Ra company. Yet he was cast aside and deemed a failure!

"_Ripples form on the water's surface; The wondering soul knows no rest."_ After he had learned the truth, he left SOLDIER, setting out with a new dream. The single black feathered wing sprouting from his left shoulder blade, led to doubts that he was still human... or if he was something else entirely. _"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul."_ The selfish dreams he once had were shattered by the reality that he couldn't be human. He no longer sought out the acknowledgment of those that he wished would call him hero. He accepted himself as inhuman, taking on the ambitions of a monster. Even so, he was slowly dying, and nothing could be done about it. So he set out to find a way to keep himself from dying, trying to find a cure. Eventually he found evidence that his silver-haired friend might hold a cure, and so he set out once again.

"_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end."_ That was what he was going to do, once he was cured of his... condition. He told his silver-haired friend the truth behind his birth. Told him that he was born from cells of a being called JENOVA, the very same cells that could keep him from dying. It had been his hope that his friend would share these cells, but he was turned down and told to go and rot. He disappeared for a time, trying to find another way to save himself. He had been so close, he had found something that had stopped him from dying... but even that had been torn away from him. _"Wings stripped away, the end is nigh."_ To be stopped by some SOLDIER wannabe. All of his ambitions, all of his dreams... shattered and thrown away like he had been. It was then he saw the _goddess_, and it was then that he had been banished.

He didn't know how long he had been trapped within this... void of flames, but one thing was certain. _"My soul, corrupted by vengeance; Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey; In my own salvation; And your eternal slumber..."_

Sasuke bolted upright, sweat rolling off of his skin, his breathing ragged as he tried to steady it. What had that been about? It didn't matter really, Sasuke had other things to worry about. Getting out of, bed Sasuke headed for the bathroom to take a short shower before he had to go meet his... team. Unknown to the young Uchiha, the light that had surrounded _Genesis_ dimmed until it completely disappeared.

--

This... is what they called missions? They were more like chores that lazy civilians didn't want to be bothered with doing. Painting a fence... pulling weeds... walking dogs... it was all an insult to his skills! And if he had to chase that runaway cat again... Naruto couldn't promise that _Benitsune_ might not slip and fall on the cat. Said cat was currently being held gently by Hinata, though it was still eying him like it wanted to claw his face out. Of course it had been like this for the past _six months_, and Naruto was starting to get annoyed with these 'missions'... even Kakashi-sensei was abandoning him and Hinata to go and train Sasuke. Not that he really minded of course, but still Kakashi had told them about teamwork yet he only trains a third of the team? Damn hypocrite.

Team Seven was currently waiting in the mission debriefing room, after having returned Tora the cat back to its rightful owner, awaiting their next mission. As Sarutobi began to read from the scroll labeled "D-Rank", Naruto couldn't help but groan. He wanted a real challenge and these _chores_ simply wouldn't do for him, "Enough of the trivial missions, Hokage-sama. We're all ready for something more." Sasuke merely grunted, not wanting to show that he agreed and Hinata merely sighed and shook her head, she should have known Naruto would have said something eventually.

This comment set Iruka off, "Naruto, you're still considered genin fresh from the academy and need more experience before you can move up to harder ranking missions."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "_Six months_, Iruka-sensei, _six months_ we've been doing these chores and for what? To build teamwork? If that were true then these types of missions would be handled in the academy. As it stands, the three of us are more then ready for at least a C-rank mission."

Iruka was going to yell at Naruto again, but the Sandaime interrupted him, "If it's fine with Kakashi," the jounin simply shrugged his shoulders, "Then I suppose you can handle a simple C-rank. You will be escorting a man named Tazuna back to his home in Nami no Kuni, protecting him from any bandits that may wish to harm him." Kakashi nodded his head and told the team to meet at the main gate at eight o'clock. With that, the team was dismissed and the three teens went to their respected homes to pack.

--

Naruto hardly slept that night, having another one of those... memories. The sky was dark, clouds blocked out the sun, black dust falling like a rain. And yet despite this strange occurrence, two people were fighting each other. A silver-haired man dueled against a spiky blonde-haired teen wielding something similar to a zanbato. The duel, however, took place on ruined buildings easily several hundred stories up, yet the two fighters were easily leaping from one building to another. Naruto watched as the two launched chunks of the ruined buildings they were fighting on, their blades easily cutting through the concrete to protect themselves.

Naruto watched as the two continued to fight, even as the ruins they were fighting on plummeted to the ground. Eventually the spiky blonde-haired man grew tired and his shoulder was impaled by the silver-haired man's sword. The two exchanged words, but yet again those were lost on Naruto, and before he knew what was happening both fighters were once again in the air. This time, however, the blonde-haired man's zanbato separated into six different swords and surrounded the silver-haired man. The blonde man was engulfed in a gold color as his speed was drastically increased, moving from sword to sword striking at the silver-haired man. When it was finally over, the blonde man looked up to where the silver-haired man was floating, a single black angel wing extending from his right shoulder blade. "I will... _never_ be a memory," the silver-haired man said, his wing wrapping around him.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, sifting to a more comfortable position on the chair he had apparently fallen asleep on, removing the blanket that his mother no doubt placed on him. Naruto stood, careful so as not to wake Hinata, who had stayed the night after she finished packing, and made his way to the garden outside. Naruto stared down at his reflection within the pond, wondering if the person staring up at him was still himself and not some other person. It still unnerved him, what usually happened after these... memories he'd have instead of dreams. It was nothing major, really, the only real change about him was that the silver in his hair was slowly becoming more dominate, even the green in his eyes appeared to be showing more often. Yet he could feel the slight change in his personality, he could feel himself becoming more and more confident in his abilities. With each passing memory came that feeling of superiority... he knew he was becoming more and more like the Uchiha and he loathed it.

It bothered him, knowing that he may end up like the Uchiha... but he wasn't like that! He wasn't like the Uchiha, he was different in that he didn't _think _he was better then anyone... he simply _knew _that there were few that could beat him. Even so, he wondered what he was becoming, wondered if he was becoming someone else entirely. But did that really matter? His outward appearance may have changed, but he was still the same old Naruto that he had been, albeit more mature and much more like his adoptive father then he'd care to admit. And yet, he could almost see a different person stare back at him, the reflection having longer silver hair as well as green cat-like eyes. This bothered him, leading to doubts that his parents, both biological and adoptive, would remain proud of him were he to turn into this... man that stared back at him. He felt Hinata's arms wrap around him, her voice whispering into his ear, "What's bothering you?"

He was silent for a long moment, debating with himself if he should tell her. On one hand he knew he could trust her, but that same part of him didn't want to cause her to worry when it really wasn't anything to worry about. Yet he knew that she would not drop it, he knew that she could tell that something was indeed bothering him. Still, he didn't want to worry her for nothing, "Nothing is bothering me, Hinata-chan."

He felt her grip tighten, he felt her head bury into the crook of his neck, and he could have sworn he felt something wet as well. "Don't do this, Naruto-kun, don't shut me out. Please, don't shut me out like you do with the villagers. I... I care too much about you, please... talk to me." What was it that caused him to care more about her feelings then his own?

He wanted to tell her, he wanted to talk to her, and yet... and yet he couldn't. His heart, despite the love and warmth that both his parents and Hinata had shown him, could not let any one close to him. Before his family came along, he had simply been betrayed by ignorant villagers, children who pretended to be his friends only to lead him to where their parents and other hateful villagers were waiting to beat him. Even when his family first adopted him a small part of him continually remembered what had happened in the past, but that had been overridden as Diao Chan and Lu Bu treated him like their son. Now, he wanted to let Hinata into his heart... he just wasn't sure if he knew how.

The two remained like that, even as the sun began to raise and they both knew they should leave to go meet their team for the start of the mission, but neither of them wanted to move. Hinata knew that if she released him then he'd simply bottle up whatever it was that was bothering, and she couldn't allow that. Yet she knew she wouldn't, couldn't pressure him about it, she trusted him to tell her when he was ready... whenever that would be.

--

Twenty minutes later found Team Seven on the road heading for Nami no Kuni, apparently the man that they were guarding, Tazuna was an important bridge builder... he was also an old man and a drunk but that's besides the point. Tazuna was building a bridge that would connect the islands of Nami no Kuni with the mainland, hoping the trade would be easier and his country could prosper. That was why he feared that bandits might try to kill him, so he hired ninja to protect him, though by the way that he was acting told Naruto that their client was hiding something. What it was didn't matter to the Namikaze boy, he knew that whatever it was he could defeat it.

Speaking of challenges, there was a puddle off to the side of the road, which was strange because it hadn't rained in weeks. Naruto, not really in a good mood, launched one of the fuuma shuriken from its place on his forearm at the puddle. Two black cloaked shinobi leapt out of the 'puddle', avoiding the giant shuriken that would have lopped off their heads. One of the shinobi had a large metallic claw on his right arm, a chain connected to a similar claw on the other enemy shinobi's left arm. Both of their forehead protecters, which held a slash through Kirigakure's symbol, were adorned with a horn, as well as a breathing mask.

A faint smirk made its way onto Naruto's face, though he was still in no mood to play around, catching the fuuma shuriken on his forearm as it returned to him. Naruto threw the fuuma shuriken again, pinning the chain connecting the two Kiri-nin to the ground, though this didn't stop them. The chain disconnected from their gauntlets, the two charging forward, their claws blocked by both _Genesis_ and _Yukihime_ when they were within striking distance. The Kiri-nin had no time to react as an odachi sliced into their necks and separated their heads from their shoulders, killing the two instantly and dropping their corpses to the ground. "Naruto, why did you kill them? We could have questioned them and gotten information," Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes as he stood in front of the three genin.

"Hmph, they were a threat and I dealt with them accordingly. No need to go off and preach... _Hatake-sensei_," Naruto replied. Of course, what he wouldn't say was that he needed something to vent his anger and the two Kiri-nin were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Besides, I think Tazuna as some explaining to do." This caused everyone to stare at the bridge builder, who by now was looking for some way to get out of this predicament.

"Fine," Tazuna said, finding no way of getting out of this explanation, "Nami no Kuni is a relatively small and poor country, and since we're surrounded by water we rely on shipping to bring in supplies. A man by the name of Gato owns all of the shipping companies. Rumor has it that he's dealing under the table as well. My bridge is a threat to him and his company, so naturally he wants me dead."

Kakashi sighed, things just got a whole lot more complicated. "Well, since this is now technically an A-ranked mission, we should return to Konoha and get you a more... _proper_ escort."

"Hmph, if you want to go back, _Hatake-sensei_, then I'm not stopping you. I don't know about you, but I don't care what or who this Gato person may send at us next... I welcome the challenge," Naruto said, continuing to walk down the path they were on, "Tazuna-san, you coming?" Tazuna, as well as Hinata, quickly caught up to the Namikaze boy, with Tazuna thanking the boy nonstop. Sasuke merely grunted before following, he would not be shown up... besides, the Uchiha were unstoppable, no one could beat an Uchiha. Kakashi silently sighed to himself, he had a feeling this would happen. He wasn't about to let his team deal with this on their own, but that didn't mean he couldn't send word to the Hokage and request reinforcements. Summoning a small messenger dog, Kakashi gave it the scroll that he had written to send to the Hokage and followed his team.

--

Naruto was getting restless, it had already been three days since their encounter with the Kiri missing-nin, and they were currently heading towards Tazuna's home. They had taken a small boat, so as to avoid detection from any of Gato's patrol boats. They hadn't encountered any problems, that was both good and bad. It was good because it meant that Tazuna was safe for the time being, it was bad because Naruto still had some anger to vent and had nothing to vent it at. Though he had the feeling that something was going to happen soon... and he welcomed the challenge that would give.

Naruto's hand lashed out to the side, sending the fuuma shuriken into the bush, followed by a thunk sound as it imbedded into a tree. As the team went to see what it was about, they found a rabbit, the fuuma shuriken barely above it's head. But what was strange was that the rabbit's fur was white, and since it was spring, it shouldn't be. Sasuke was about to insult Naruto about not knowing a rabbit from an enemy when Kakashi yelled out, "Get down!" He tackled Tazuna, quickly followed by Sasuke and Hinata. Naruto, however, didn't move and instead spun on his heel. The resounding clang of metal against metal echoed in the clearing as _Benitsune_ flashed, parrying the giant zanbato and embedding it into the ground in front of the team.

"Well, I wouldn't think a mere brat like you could deflect _Kubikiri Houcho_ so easily," a figure said, landing beside the zanbato. The figure, obviously male, if the heavily muscled chest was any indication, was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and pants, as well as gray arm and leg warmers, bandages were covering the man's mouth and nose. "It's been awhile since I've had a good kenjutsu battle, maybe you'll be somewhat decent, brat," he said before lifting the zanbato out of the ground and resting it against his shoulder.

"Naruto, stand down and protect Tazuna! That's Momochi Zabuza, A-class missing-nin of Kirigakure no Sato and one of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist," Kakashi yelled, preparing himself to face the missing-nin himself.

Naruto, ignored Kakashi and walked in front of Zabuza, "No offense, Hatake-sensei, but you would not last long against him. I, however, will be more then enough," Naruto said, holding _Benitsune_ horizontally over his head, blocking Zabuza's sudden attack. Naruto smirked as he looked up, his cold green eyes looking into Zabuza's own, "This will be fun." Zabuza barely dodged the strike aimed at his chest by jumping back, landing on the lake that was nearby and just as suddenly Naruto was in front of him again, swinging Benitsune.

Zabuza would admit, the brat was good with a sword, even with his years of experience, the elder swordsman was having a hard time keeping up with the quicker odachi. Zabuza jumped back, going through a string of hand seals even as he was still in the air, shouting out "_Suiryuudan no Jutsu_!" as he landed once again on the water's surface. Naruto merely arched an eyebrow as he swung Benitsune, easily cutting through the water dragon. "You know something, Zabuza?" Naruto asked, his wings allowing him to hover above the water's surface. "I wanted to see what you were capable of... and I'm not all that impressed. Now I'll end this," Naruto said, reversing his grip on the odachi, the lightning once again springing to life, and plunging it into the water.

The electrical current surged through the water, stunning Zabuza and causing him to fall to his knees. Three senbon needles hit Zabuza in the neck, as a figure landed next to his body, wrapping an arm around the missing-nin's waist to keep him from falling into the water. "I thank you for weakening him. I had been after him for sometime now," a feminine voice said, the white hunter-nin mask staring out at the Namikaze. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get rid of the body." With that, both figures vanished in a swirl of water.

As Naruto made his way back to his team, he suddenly grabbed his head in pain. Hinata rushed forward, barely catching him before he fell into the water. When Hinata stared into his eyes, she couldn't keep the gasp from escaping her lips. Naruto's eyes were flashing between the clear blue and the cold green, only the cold green had a... cat-like look to it. Naruto's body went limp, the pain creating too much a strain for him, sending him into blissful unconsciousness. No one would ever notice the black clad spiky-haired blonde dashing through the forest, muttering to himself, "Is this what you had warned me about... Aerith?"

* * *

_Suiryuudan no Jutsu- _Water Dragon Projectile Technique

And so begins the Wave mission. And yes, if you couldn't tell I made Haku FEMALE, GET OVER IT! I've said I was going to do that in the other chapters, so deal with it and no ranting about it, I gave you enough warning. So, how many of you think Zabuza will live by the end of the mission? And what's with that ending? Well, I suppose that there's no real reason to hide it but to those who don't know I'm not going to say anything. You'll all just have to wait and find out now won't you?

So, that ends that chapter, thank you for reading and please review.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It had been a full day since their encounter with the missing-nin Zabuza and Naruto had yet to awaken from whatever had caused him to become unconscious and Hinata was getting worried. Not that she minded looking after him, she wouldn't admit it out loud... alright she wanted to yet she feared what Naruto's reaction would be, but she could honestly say that she loved him. Was it a childish crush? She didn't think it was. Why else would she remain by his side? She even refused to go and train with Kakashi and Sasuke, not that Kakashi would teach her anything. She knew that Kakashi was their sensei, however, like Naruto, she was frustrated in the fact that the jounin would only teach Sasuke. It took all of her self control not to take _Yukihime_ and freeze something _very_ precious to the two males.

Not wanting her anger to get the best of her, Hinata shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. She turned her head slightly as she heard the door open slightly. She sighed in annoyance as she saw Tazuna's young grandson, Inari, looking into the room. She had heard, along with Sasuke and Kakashi, how the boy had lost his adoptive father to Gato. She pitied the boy, true, but she wished that he would stop crying about it and move on. Hinata dreaded what Naruto's reaction would be, if the Namikaze heard one of Inari's little tantrums. She could only pray that Naruto's anger did not get the better of him.

She turned to look as the door was pushed opened, only this time it was Inari's mother Tsunami, who walked in with a tray of food. "How is he?" she asked, setting the tray down next to Hinata.

"The same," Hinata replied, her hands already covered in green healing chakra. She ran her hands over his body looking for something, _anything_, that could explain why he had collapsed so suddenly. But no matter how many times she checked, she found nothing wrong with him. As far as she could tell there was nothing that was keeping him from waking up any second... so why wasn't he? Hinata ran her hand along Naruto's whisker marks, either an attempt to rouse him from his prolonged slumber or to calm herself down. She neither knew nor cared.

"Hinata-san, you must be tired. Why don't you go and rest, I'll watch over him and alert you should anything happen," Tsunami said, hoping to get the young teen to rest and recover.

"_Iie_," Hinata said, running her hand through his unbound hair. She had removed the headdress along with Naruto's long coat when they had been given the room. "I won't leave his side... not until he awakens." Tsunami merely gave a small nod before walking out of the room to leave to the two young teens alone. Hinata tried keeping her eyes opened, but the day's events exhausted her, draining her strength. She lowered herself next to Naruto, her head resting against his chest as she unconsciously moved closer to his body. Her last thoughts as her eyes closed were, _"Please be alright... Naruto-kun."_

--

When Naruto awoke the next day, he briefly wondered where he was, until he realized he was probably in Tazuna's house. He tried pushing himself up, only to be weighed down by something on his chest. He looked downed to find Hinata resting peacefully, their legs having somehow gotten entangled during the night. A small part of him didn't want to wake her, yet another part of him wondered why she would stay with him. Or was he simply fooling himself? Did he know the reason yet not want to _admit_ it to himself? Or was he afraid of losing his only _friend_ if he ever did admit it?

As much as he wanted to continue to think about it, they were on a mission and he couldn't allow his emotions to get the better of him. If that happened Naruto knew that he wouldn't train as hard as he should or he'd do something that could endanger everyone. He'd be the first to admit that, while he was impassive must of the time, there were occasionally times when he would lose control of his emotions. Usually when he was in the middle of a training match, his anger and frustration getting the better of him. When that happened it felt like he was pushed into an uncontrolled rage and that was why he always tried to keep a hold on his emotions.

His mind slowly wandered back to when he had been knocked unconscious. It was... strange, to say the least. It almost felt like something had been trying to take over his body from the inside. And even then it felt more like a reaction to something in the area... but what could it have been? Both the hunter-nin and Zabuza's body had been gone when it occurred, so it had to be something else. While he hadn't sensed anyone else, considering that he had missed the presence of the hunter-nin, it was likely that there could have been someone else there at the time. It didn't matter at the present time, whatever it was Naruto would be ready in the future. He looked down when he felt Hinata tighten her grip, staring into her lavender colored eyes. "Naruto-kun... you're awake." Hinata said, more to herself then to him.

By instinct, his hand ran through her hair. When he finally did realize it, his hand froze. After a few seconds pause, he gently moved Hinata off his body so that he could get up and stretch. He reached for his long coat, once again putting it on followed by the feathered headdress. He checked the seal on his wrist, satisfied when he saw the _kanji_ there signaling that _Benitsune_was stored away. Naruto headed for the door, but stopped when he once again felt Hinata's arms wrap around him from behind, "What happened? I was worried about you, Naruto-kun."

"I'm alright, Hinata-chan. Come, my muscles are stiff and I could use a good spar." With that the two teens left the house, saying a quick goodbye to Tsunami and informing Kakashi where they were heading. It took a good half an hour to find a clearing with a pond, and when they did, they walked out onto its surface. Hinata drew _Yukihime_ from its sheath as _Benitsune_appeared in Naruto's hand, "Alright, the same as always. No special ability, just pure _kenjutsu_." Hinata nodded once, and immediately charged at Naruto.

Later that night, Naruto and Hinata returned to Tazuna's house just in time for a nice, quiet supper. Or, at least it would have been a quiet supper had Inari not yelled at the ninja, "Why? Why do you do it? You're all just end up dying at Gato's hands. So why bother?"

"Hmph, like I care what he sends at me," Naruto said, "I like a good challenge." Hinata held her breath, praying that Inari didn't say the wrong thing and set Naruto off.

Unfortunately Hinata's prayers wouldn't be answered as Inari yelled out,"You think you're so strong! But what do you know about pain and suffering! I bet you've never had to suffer in your entire life! Living all nice and happy!" Hinata froze, her chopsticks falling out of her hand, her eyes locked on Naruto as he stared down into his food. She reacted instantly, but was too late as Naruto reached across the table and lifted Inari up by the little boy's collar.

"And what makes you think you know anything about my life?" Naruto's voice was ice cold, sending chills down everyone's spine, "Did you have to live the first _six years_of your life, in constant fear? Fearing that your life could end any minute? Fearing when the next beating was to occur? Wondering if you were going to find food for the day or for the rest of the week? Did you have to live with being thrown out of stores and restaurants? Have you watched other children being led away from you by their parents? Yes I found a family that was willing to adopt me and care for me like a family... but did you have to live with wondering if your real parents abandoned you like the rest of the village?" Naruto raised his free arm, the _fuuma shuriken_ snapping into its unfolded state, "If no, then you know _nothing_ about what true pain and suffering is."

"Naruto! That's enough." Naruto turned, the cat-like green eyes glaring into Kakashi's uncovered one before dropping Inari to the ground, storming out of the house and slamming the door shut behind him. And for a fraction of a second, Hinata could have sworn she saw someone else standing where Naruto had been. Someone with long flowing silver hair, and a single black feathered wing extending from the right shoulder blade.

--

Haku had always enjoyed the mornings, when the dew was still fresh on the grass and the sun barely above the horizon. Everything was peaceful, it was all quiet, there was no one around to bother her. No one was around to bother her so that she'd be able to finish picking the needed herbs to help heal Zabuza-sama. Zabuza-sama had received very few wounds from his battle three days earlier, so it was only a matter of healing him from the small wound she herself had inflicted to fake his death. Of course, that wasn't the only reason she was out here, she also came out to help calm herself down.

Gato had the nerve to think that he could lay one of his filthy hands on her Zabuza-sama. Of course, she had broken Gato's wrist because of that, then she nearly killed the two samurai guards that Gato always had with him. The only thing that had stopped her from killing those two samurai was the fact that Zabuza-sama had told her to stop. If he hadn't, then she would no doubt have unleashed her anger on Gato. Of course she understood the need to have Gato pay them, but she just felt like something horrible was going to happen. But it wasn't her place to decide what they would do, she would follow her Zabuza-sama... no matter where he was to lead her.

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked over to see what it was, she silently cursed herself for not bringing along a few _senbon_needles. For lying a few feet away from her was Namikaze Naruto, passed out from something, but that wasn't the only thing that surprised her. The entire clearing looked like some great battle had occurred; trees were uprooted, branches severed from their trunks. Now she was _really_ cursing herself for not bringing her _senbon_ needles.

There were a few things she could do; she could take advantage while the boy slept and kill him, or she could pretend to be a civilian and learn as much as she could about the Konoha genin. Haku knew her skills, she also knew that she was as good as she was because of the combination of her skill with _senbon_ and her immense speed. Without her _senbon_, Haku knew she wouldn't be able to kill the Namikaze as he slept. So information gathering it was then. Haku placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder, shaking him gently and saying, "What are you doing out here? You could catch a cold sleeping outside like this."

"I could ask a civilian the same thing," Naruto said, standing to his feet so that he could stretch. He glanced at Haku once, dully noting that all she was wearing was a pink _yukata_ with a light blue obi and a choker around her neck, as he went to pick up _Benitsune_ and return it to its seal. "So, what is a civilian doing out here so early in the morning?"

"Me? I'm out picking some herbs to help a friend of mine recover," Haku said, walking over to one of the only undamaged plants that she knew was one of the herbs she needed, "I'm Haku, by the way. So, are you a ninja?" She asked, hoping to sound like an ignorant villager. When Naruto nodded, she continued, "You never answered my first question, what were you doing out here sleeping?"

"I needed to vent some of my anger. I guess it exhausted me more then I had thought," he replied. Haku tried not to let any fear show, if that's what he could do when angry she dreaded what he could do when level-headed. "Do you need help picking the herbs?" Naruto asked, and as an afterthought he added, "I'm Namikaze Naruto." Haku nodded in response, and it was a good twenty minutes before they had gathered everything that she needed. During those twenty minutes she learned as much as she could without being suspicious, finding out that he had been an orphan before being adopted... just like she was. Only he had a family that cared about him while she had one person that, while he cared for her, cared more about her shinobi skills.

When she had told him such, leaving out the part about Zabuza taking her in, she swore she saw the smallest hint of compassion within those duel-colored eyes. She dismissed it though, thinking she was only seeing things. Even when Haku knew she was pushing things, she still wished to know more about him. Whether it was to help her Zabuza-sama or for her own personal reasons... she didn't know and she wouldn't take the time to figure it out. There was, however, one last thing she wanted to know, "Tell me, do you have someone precious to you?" At his slightly confused look, it was very difficult to tell with his impassiveness, she continued, "Someone, who you care for more then anything in the world? Someone you would do anything for? Someone you couldn't bear to see in any sort of pain? Someone you would die to protect?" Why was she asking this? Maybe she was looking for something... or someone who shared what she thought. Maybe she knew that one of them would die during the upcoming battle she _knew_ would take place and she didn't want what she believed to be lost.

Naruto took the time to think that over, other than his parents who did he have? The only one he could think of was Hinata. But could he say that he truly cared about her to the point where he'd do anything for her? Did he care for her to the point where he didn't want to see her in any pain? He couldn't say... he _wanted_ to say that he did, he just _couldn't_. And that _irritated_him. How much time had he and Hinata spent together? How many times had _she_ done what he asked and yet never asked for anything in return? How many times had she stood by him? And what had he ever done in return? Nothing, he had done nothing to pay her back and it was only now painfully obvious.

As if sensing his uncertainty Haku said, "It's alright, you don't have to tell me." She stood, picking up the basket filled with herbs as she did so, "Forgive me, but I must bring these herbs to my friend. It was a pleasure to talk to you, Namikaze-san." Haku said, giving a small bow, turning to leave and passing by Hinata who came out to find Naruto. When Haku was sure she was out of sight from the two Konoha genin, she disappeared in a swirl of mist.

The rest of the week went by rather quickly, each member taking turns guarding Tazuna when he was working on his bridge. When not guarding Tazuna, Kakashi was usually training Sasuke. Likewise, when both Naruto and Hinata were not on guard duty, they were usually training together. Inari was much quieter, though he appeared to be in deep thought rather then the depressed mood he had first been in. Naruto, however, kept to himself a lot more then he usually did. Often he would sit on top of Tazuna's house looking up into the night sky. Even when Hinata came to join him, he would he remain quiet. Though Hinata was glad that he hadn't changed much since Naruto would still wrap one of his arms around her and pull her close to him. Perhaps Haku's words had a far greater impact on him then anyone could have ever thought possible.

On the last day of the week, Naruto had the rare chance of sleeping in late that morning, partly because Kakashi decided to have both Hinata and Sasuke guard Tazuna and partly because Naruto had worn himself out training last night. It would have been a peaceful morning had Naruto not been startled awake by the sound of what he assumed was the door being forced open. His hand wrapped around _Benitsune_'s hilt as it appeared, his wings flaring out behind him in agitation. He calmly walked down the stairs, reaching the bottom just in time to see Inari run out of the destroyed doorway. His wings flapped once, propelling him out of the house and in the air without anyone seeing him. Naruto took in the scene below him, apparently Tsunami had been kidnapped by two samurai and appeared to be unconscious at the time. Naruto frowned when Inari ran blindly at the two samurai, forcing Naruto to dive down and block the two samurai's katana. Naruto struck with _Benitsune_, easily cutting through both katana and both of the samurai's necks like a hot knife through butter. Normally he would stay and make sure that both Inari and Tsunami were fine and out of any danger, but if his instincts were right then Naruto knew something was happening at the bridge. So without a word Naruto shot into the sky, flying off to save his team.

--

Uchiha Sasuke was not having a good day. Kakashi was fighting against Zabuza and Hinata was protecting Tazuna, that lift Sasuke to face the hunter-nin that had supposedly 'killed' Zabuza. So here he was, trapped within a dome of ice mirrors trying his hardest not to become a pincushion, Sasuke could barely manage to block the majority of the _senbon_ aimed at him with _Genesis_as it was... of course, the mist that covered the bridge didn't help matters. But that's besides the point, this all was starting to piss him off. He was an Uchiha damnit! He was better then everybody! He would not lose! He couldn't lose! Not until he found and killed his older brother! He had an ambition to make reality... and he wouldn't die until he completed it! _"Do you have what it takes to win?"_Was he hearing things? The hunter-nin hadn't talked since Sasuke had been trapped within the dome of mirrors.

"_Are you willing to do anything to win? Are you willing to give up everything to reach your dream... your ambition?"_Yes, damnit, yes! He'd do anything to obtain the power to achieve his ambition. He had sworn he would kill his brother, he had sworn that he would avenge the clan, and he swore that he would do anything to do it. _"Are you willing to become a monster? To forsake all that you have learned and all that you once believed?"_It didn't matter to him what he had to become. As long as he was able to kill Itachi! He'd become the devil himself if he could gain the power to do so. _"Then admit it. Say it and power shall be yours."_And that's what Sasuke did.

"We are... monsters!" Sasuke watched in amazement as a large black feathered wing erupted from his left shoulder-blade, curving around in front of him to block the thrown _senbon_. He closed his eyes, basking in the power rush he felt, a cold chuckle escaping his throat. He opened his eyes, revealing blood red irises along with two comma-shaped markings surrounding the pupil in each of his eyes. Sasuke held _Genesis_in front of him, running his hand along the red blade and watching as it lit up in crimson fire, a sadistic smirk gracing his lips. He'd show them all now... he'd show them all that he was the strongest. He'd show them all why the Uchiha were feared. His smirk vanished the second he felt something collide with his neck, sending him into blissful unconsciousness.

By this time Naruto had landed outside of the dome, watching Sasuke drop limply to the ground. He stood there, even as the ice mirrors melted and Haku stood there, the hunter-nin mask that once covered her face held in her hand. As Naruto stared into her eyes he could see the growing sadness, as if she didn't want to fight but knew she had to. "You know, Haku-san," Naruto said, "The Namikaze is a powerful clan within Konoha... we'd be able to protect both you and Zabuza."

"I'm sorry, Naruto-san, however I shall follow Zabuza-sama, and if he tells me to fight, then I will fight," she said, replacing the mask on her face and readying some _senbon_. The sound of thousands of birds chirping and Zabuza's voice yelling out "EAT SHIT AND DIE HATAKE!" drew their attention away from each other. Haku hesitated for a fraction of a second, but any indecisiveness she may have had was overpowered with her sense to protect what was most important to her. Naruto gave chase, only stopping when he saw her kneeling on the ground, her eyes wide and all but dead to the world around her. He glanced up, noticing that Kakashi's fist was shoved through Zabuza's chest. Naruto looked back at Haku, seeing her fall unconscious to the ground, her mind unable to except the fact that not only was her entire reason for being alive was dead... but she had also been unable to protect it.

With the battle over, the mist that once covered the bridge cleared, Hinata came up to stand beside Naruto. Tazuna collapsed to the ground, grateful that his life was no longer in any danger. Kakashi drew his hand out of Zabuza, walked past the corpse and the unconscious body of Haku and went to cheek if Sasuke was alright. Suddenly, Hinata pushed Naruto away, catching a crossbow bolt in the stomach and dropping to the ground. "Too bad the girl had to die... she would have made an excellent toy for my men," everyone's attention was drawn to the end of the unfinished bridge, where Gato was standing behind an army of mercenaries.

Naruto's rage boiled, his left hand bursting into blue flames. With an animalistic shout Naruto launched the ball of blue flame at the mercenary group. The blast, however, was unfocused and not aimed properly, resulting in it crashing into the pavement of the bridge, covering Gato's forces within a cloud of dust. Naruto, however, didn't give them a chance to counter as he disappeared into the dust cloud. Screams could be heard as the mercenaries were meeting their end to _Benitsune_'s blade. When the dust settled, Tazuna and Kakashi couldn't restrain the gasp that escaped their throats. There was Naruto, floating in front of Gato, _Benitsune _held to the business man's throat. But it wasn't what Naruto was doing, rather, what Naruto looked like. First and most noticeable was the fact that Naruto only had one black feathered wing extending from his right shoulder-blade flaring out above him. The next was the fact that Naruto's hair reached down to his waist, becoming completely silver in color.

"Kneel down, and show me the sight of you begging for mercy," Naruto's voice was iced cold, his cold cat-like green eyes glaring into Gato. Kakashi also took notice of what happened to the mercenaries, finding not a single one of them remained in one piece. Weapons and human alike were either in two pieces... or were sliced into several different pieces. Gato fell on his backside in fear, stuttering out different bribes to try and save his pathetic life. All of this fell on deaf ears, and having enough Naruto impaled Gato through the heart. The silver-haired Namikaze dropped from where he had been floating as the power boost left him, his hair returning to its normal shoulder length, though staying completely silver and his single wing remaining. The Namikaze staggered over to where Hinata had fallen, kneeling down next to her and resting his forehead against her own. Unseen by anyone, a black dust traveled from his left shoulder blade, gathering around Hinata's wound before being absorbed into her body. Yukihime glowed a slight blue and what happened next left everyone speechless.

Ice crystals started to gather around Hianta's right shoulder-blade, quickly forming a dragon-like wing. Those ice crystals condensed, forming a dragon wing made of diamond. The wound on her stomach also healed, and Naruto, seeing that she would be alright, collapsed from exhaustion on top of her. Kakashi sighed to himself, now he had four unconscious teens he had to make sure were alright. Unknown to Kakashi, another spiky-haired blonde male had watched the battle, running off and trying to think of what to do... sure now that he had found what he had been warned about.

* * *

_Iie_-- translates as no

_Kanji_-- refers to the characters which Japanese write in

_Kenjutsu_-- refers to skills with a katana, or sword techniques

_Senbon-- _needles

Now that was a chapter. I can't tell you how many times I laughed when I wrote out sasuke's fight with Haku. Though now what's happening with him? And before you yell at me for giving the Uchiha more power, remember that he is still powerless against Naruto. Sorry to those who wished to see Zabuza live and return to Konoha, but for what I thought up for Haku it needed to be done. At least Zabuza went like any proud swordsmen would... I think. Alright, now who is Naruto looking more and more like? And to those who know where the line Naruto said to Gato came from... you know it had to go there. Now all three members of Team Seven have a single wing... what's up with that? And who is that at the end of the chapter?

Tell me what you think and I'll see you next chapter! Remember, please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Diao Chan sat at her vanity within the master bedroom of the Namikaze estates, tending to her hair. Her Lord Lu Bu remained sleeping on the bed, exhausted from the previous night's activities. She found it strange, that Lu Bu could stand and fight for hours on end, yet sharing the bed with her for a single night exhausted him far beyond anything else he could do. She prided herself on the fact that she could last longer then the mighty Lu Bu... though she was just as exhausted as he was afterwards. Not that she was complaining, it was just that with raising Naruto there had been far less time to spend alone and she had almost forgotten what he was like... but _god_ did it feel good to be reminded.

She giggled to herself, remembering the look on Lu Bu's face when she had first sung and danced for him; the flustered look upon his face, how his eyes followed every move she made. At the time she had thought little of it, she had seen the same look on dozens of others that had seen her dance, but there was something different within those obsidian eyes. Something other then those lustful gazes she would often attract, and that had so bothered her. Eventually it got to the point where she sought him out to spend time with him, trying to figure out what she had seen. So fixated on him was she that he was the only one to see her dance, the only one to hear her sing. She didn't understand why she followed him, why he allowed her to follow her. Not until they were somehow dragged into one of the battles of the Third Great Shinobi War.

The first nation to fall was _Kusa no Kuni_, since the grass nation had no shinobi village of their own, the forces of _Iwagakure_ quickly took control. Then the stone ninja quickly made their way into _Hi no Kuni_, starting with the village that she and Lu Bu had been living in. By the time _Konoha_-nin arrived, the invading force had been repelled and Lu Bu stood out on the battlefield alone, with Sky Piecer separated into two double-bladed halberds. The _Konoha_-nin that saw this tried to get Lu Bu to join their side in the war effort, but he declined saying that it was none of his concern. She had found that strange at the time, from the time she had spent with him, she was sure nothing mattered more to him then a good fight. So why had he declined?

He never explained why he had declined the offer to fight in the war, instead taking her to live out farther away from the border, only a mile or two away from _Konohagakure no Sato_. There they lived in peace, and yet it still bothered her that she had yet to find what it was that she had first seen in Lu Bu's eyes that caused her to follow him. That curiosity was replaced with a sense of deep caring for the dark armor-clad warrior. Soon, she found herself caring more and more for Lu Bu, admitting to herself that she had finally fallen in love with him. She knew he cared for her as she cared for him... so why hadn't she told him how she felt? She supposed that her beloved went through the same thoughts, or maybe she was waiting for him to admit it to himself. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter to her, she was with her beloved and that was enough for her.

Even to this day he had not uttered the three words "I love you" to her, but she understood that it wasn't like him to show that kind of affection. Yes, they were married in the sense that they had vowed to remain with the other... yet there was no ceremony, no elaborate wedding that many people often wanted. No, neither she nor he were the type to want something like that, it was enough to know that he loved her, and though he never said it out loud... she knew he did. But these thought were not what caused her to awaken so early in the morning, the sun barely raising over the horizon. She placed the comb back on the vanity, pulling the dark purple robe around her as she made her way to stand on the balcony.

Living and training with the best warrior to ever live caused her to develop something akin to a 'danger sense'. And so she had a gut feeling that some thing was going to happen, it was also the same feeling that had caused her to beg her beloved to take her into _Konoha_ six years ago. She was grateful that she followed that gut feeling, otherwise who knows what could have happened to young little Naruto. But this feeling was different then the other times, it was as if she knew something terrible had happened yet everything would work out in the end. It was very strange to say the least. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something happened to Naruto.

--

He was dead... Zabuza-sama was dead. She failed him... failed to protect him and failed to make his dream a reality. She was nothing now, nothing but a broken tool with no master. These were the thoughts going through Haku's mind as she stared at her hands with dead eyes. There was nothing left... no more reason for her to live, her purpose had been crushed. Zabuza-sama had saved her, gave her a meaning to live and a purpose in life. With him dead... there was nothing. She lost the man she considered her second father, now her dreams were ruined and her mind was shattered. Memories flashed before her eyes, of times long past... when she was nothing more then a poor and innocent little girl.

Her family had been living in _Mizu no Kuni_, true they were poor but it hadn't mattered, they were happy and content. She had been told of the '_Kekkei Genkai_ Purge', where any clan with a _kekkei genkai_ were massacred. She had been told, by her father, that those clans had been blamed for the years of civil war within _Mizu no Kuni_ and that was why they were slaughtered. She hadn't understood at the time why her mother always seemed so tensed whenever her father mentioned it. Her young mind didn't care why at the time, but it all changed with a single mistake, a mistake she wished she could erase.

The day had started out like any other, her father had been away for one reason or another while she and her mother were outside their house. Her mother had been washing some clothes and she had been playing around, and that's when she discovered her special ability. She found that she could manipulate the water around her, bend it to her will and make anything she wanted out of it. Giddy she showed this to her mother who slapped her and told her to never do it again. Realizing what she had done, her mother embraced her, sobbing and saying she was sorry over and over again. She thought everything would turn out alright, but it would not be so. Her father had seen everything, and that's when everything started to spiral downwards.

Her father killed her mother right in front of her eyes and slowly turned to her. So fearful was she that something within her snapped, not knowing what had happened or how it had happened, she walked away from her house and her old life. The place where she had once lived skewered with giant icicles. She took to living on the streets, fearful of what would happen should anyone discover what she could do. Until the day _he_ found her, Zabuza-sama found her, took her in and cared for her. Trusting that he wouldn't hurt her, she showed him her ability in manipulating water, and he was the one that told her she held a _kekkei genkai_. She understood then, that was the reason why her mother had been killed, because she and her mother held a _kekkei genkai_ that had been so feared and hated within _Mizu no Kuni_.

That was when Zabuza-sama offered to train her, keeping her and her abilities hidden from the rest of _Kirigakure no Sato_ and the other Seven Shinobi Swordsmen. She was probably no more then nine, ten years old when all seven swordsmen were betrayed by the Mizukage. No one knew why or who turned on them altogether, some blamed Zabuza-sama saying he staged a coup d'etat. But she knew that wasn't the reason, Zabuza-sama was not power hungry and she had always known he was loyal to the village. Whatever the reason, they fled _Kirigakure_, taking to traveling around though they had to dodge hunter-nin sent out from _Kiri_. It was during an encounter with some hunter-nin that they weren't able to escape that she picked up the white mask she took to wearing. From then on, she trained for him, grew stronger for him, his dream becoming her dream, his ambitions becoming her ambitions.

But that was all gone now, nothing was left within her... not even the will to live. A small gesture of her hand and the water within a cup by her bedside gathered in her palm turning into into a small ice knife. With a steady hand, steadier then she thought it would be, she held the the knife to her wrist... she'd soon be back with her Zabuza-sama.

--

He dashed through the trees, trying to figure out what he should do next. It unnerved him greatly that his greatest enemy was apparently still alive. But how was that possible? Cloud could have sworn that without a true body, Sephiroth wouldn't be able to live again. Yet that battle on the bridge, and that boy turning into Sephiroth... something had to be done or this entire world could be in danger. Cloud still remembered the first time he had met Sephiroth, when he was nothing more then a regular trooper within the Shin-Ra company. He had looked up to Sephiroth, hoping to become a First Class SOLDIER himself one day. But all that had changed on one fateful mission.

He had been with both Sephiroth and Zack, another First Class SOLDIER and his closest friend. Their mission was to inspect one of Shin-Ra's reactors in the town of Nibelheim. Nibelheim was also his home town and he had been ashamed to return there without being a First Class SOLDIER, he considered it a broken promise to a childhood friend. He had been with Zack when it happened, when Sephiroth went mad and slaughtered everyone in the village. It all blurred together, Cloud wasn't sure when he found himself at the reactor nor was he aware of when he was stabbed by Sephiroth's masamune. In fact, the next four years became nothing more then darkness, he didn't even know what had happened. First he was fighting Sephiroth within the reactor, the next he's looking at the dying body of Zack. With the last of his strength, Zack gave Cloud the buster sword that he used.

With Buster Sword in hand, Cloud made his way to the city of Midgar, believing himself to be a First Class SOLDIER, his amnesic mind replacing his own memories with the stories that Zack told him. Eventually he met a group calling themselves AVALANCHE, a group of people against the Shin-Ra Power Company. Shin-Ra was using what people called mako energy, better known as the Lifestream that circled the planet and gave it life. AVALANCHE believed that if it wasn't stopped then the planet would die, so they set out to bring the company down. It wasn't until Sephiroth returned, killing the president of Shin-Ra and threatening the destruction of the planet. The battle against Sephiroth caused the death of a dear friend, Aerith Gainsborough, who he thought he could love given more time to spend with her. But they had succeeded, Sephiroth was killed and Shin-Ra was torn apart... but the city of Midgar had been ruined. It was then that the time to rebuild came and the city of Edge was brought into life. But if only they knew of the consequences of their battle with Sephiroth.

Cloud stopped mid-stride, glancing over his shoulder he called out, "How long have you been following me... Tifa?"

She landed behind him, her eyes clouded with worry, "Aerith thought you would need help... or perhaps she thought you shouldn't do anything alone. And after what we saw on the bridge... I think she's right."

"Something has to be done, if Sephiroth still lives then this entire world could be in danger. He has to be stopped," Cloud said, turning around and walking away.

Tifa ran up behind him, grabbed a hold of his arm and spun him around to face him, "Cloud, I thought we left our past behind us. If Aerith thought this was a danger then I understand but... I'm worried about you." Cloud turned his gaze to the ground, eyes clouded in grief as old memories resurfaced. "If you must face this then so be it... but I'm going with you," Tifa said, placing her hand under Cloud's chin and lifting it so their eyes met, "You're not alone anymore, remember that."

Cloud gave a brief nod of his head, removing himself from Tifa's hold and continuing to walk in the direction he had been going. If only their ninja friend Yuffie were with them then they'd know what to expect from the ninja of this world, as it stood they'd just have to figure it out on their own. But first they needed information on this world, so they set out for the nearest town.

--

Hinata was confused, the last thing she remembered was pushing Naruto out of the way of an attack and being knocked unconscious. When she opened her eyes she found herself in the middle of a snow covered field, a small flurry of snow dropping from the sky. What troubled her more was the fact that _Yukihime_ was missing from its sheath. How or where it disappeared to, she didn't know but she had to find out what happened to it. She also noticed the diamond dragon wing attached to her right shoulder, where had she gotten that? A roar turned her attention up toward the sky, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight she beheld.

A dragon, it's serpentine body covered with the purest of white scales, it's wings and claws glinting as if made from pure diamonds, descended from the sky. So enraptured by the majestic sight was Hinata that she did not realize that the dragon's massive body encircled her, the dragon's muzzle staring her down. "Hello, young one," a feminine voice drifted from the dragon's throat. Hearing this startled Hinata out of her dazed state, taking a step back only to bump into the dragon's coiled body. "Fear not, young one, I mean you no harm. I am Yukihime, and I am here to help you."

"Yukihime? But... that's the same name as my katana." Hinata said, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

"Indeed, my spirit forever trapped within the blade you use," Yukihime explained. When Hinata asked if was she who had given her the wing, the great dragon shook her head, "No, you were not ready to be given this power. However, after you were injured I tried to heal you enough so that you wouldn't die; however something else tried to heal you at the same time. Normally this wouldn't cause a side affect, but somehow the two energies reacted causing a chain reaction that ended with you gaining a portion of the power that I would have given you when the time was ready."

Hinata nodded, "I understand that... but where are we?"

"This," Yukihime spread her wings out, gesturing to the surrounding land, "is a mental manifestation of the connection between the two of us. It can be reached when you are unconscious, meditating or sleeping. It will also be where I shall be training you in your new powers."

Hinata gave a small bow in thanks, only to spring straight up when something came to her mind, "Did my mother know of you when she used the katana?"

A small chuckle escaped from the dragon's throat, "Yes, she knew of me. She was also the closest to obtaining my full power, but sadly she retired from the shinobi forces before she was able to... perhaps you could make her proud by doing the one thing she was never able to do. Now sit, there is much to discuss," Yukihime's body shifted, decreasing in size until before Hinata stood a woman wearing a light blue kimono, her snow white hair reaching down to her waist, and two diamond wings remaining on her back. As Hinata sat next to Yukihime, her thoughts wandered to if Naruto was alright.

--

Genesis was, for a lack of a better term, quit irritated. Not only had he discovered that he was trapped within his own sword, but he was also in a different dimension? Not only that, but there was a black-haired _gaki_ who thought he could use Genesis's power. True, Genesis had been the one to offer power to said _gaki_, but that had only been because he sensed something within the _gaki_. Something that was similar to his own personality, and that impressed him. Still though, there was something about this _gaki_... something he couldn't quit figure out yet, not that it mattered to him; he had other things to deal with.

The first had been to get Sasuke to agree to be trained under him, since no one else could wield his blade the proper way. That had been far easier then he had expected, but then judging from the young Uchiha's mind, it wasn't surprising. When he offered Sasuke a portion of his power, it allowed Genesis to go through Sasuke's memories. It wasn't the fact that Sasuke vowed to kill his brother; Genesis wasn't interested in such trivial matters. No, instead he saw something else, a similarity between Naruto and his old friend Sephiroth. Perhaps there was a connection between the two, and if there was then his old friend shared his fate. At least being trapped within his own sword meant that he was alive, maybe not in the sense that he had first wanted... but at least his body wasn't degrading.

If Angeal, his first childhood friend and another First Class SOLDIER hadn't stopped his duel with Sephiroth then his body wouldn't have started to degrade. It had started with a small wound he received on his shoulder, he had thought it would heal but it only got worse. It was at that time he learned of the truth, the truth that he had been experimented on before he even left his mother's womb. He learned that he could create copies of himself, yet they all shared the same fate... death. Because his cells could be copied, it also meant that they could be destroyed just as easily. That one wound started a chain reaction, causing his body to slowly rot. He had hoped to find a cure to stop his degradation, so he abandoned Shin-Ra and SOLDIER.

He did everything in his power to find a way to stop his degradation... but nothing worked. His search led him to a being called JENOVA it was said that cells from this being could grant immense power. No one knew where JENOVA was being kept, but he remembered one thing. There was a Shin-Ra research mansion in Nibelheim, so he started his search there. That's where he learned of the experiment called Project S, or better known as "Project Sephiroth". This project used cells from JENOVA and implanted them within the unborn Sephiroth, and unlike the rival Project G, there was no degradation and thus... the ultimate SOLDIER was born. None of that told him where JENOVA could be found, but, he realized, if he couldn't find JENOVA itself... then he'd use the cells from Sephiroth.

Luring Sephiroth to the mako reactor in Nibelheim had been simple, and it was there that he revealed the truth to his old friend. It had been his hope that knowing the truth would cause Sephiroth to join him, and in doing so, give up a few of his cells. But Sephiroth declined, saying that he could "go and rot", at that point he didn't care what his words could do to Sephiroth... all he cared about was finding a way to stop his degradation. So he disappeared for four years, hiding and trying to find something, anything that could cease his degradation. And he had found it, a massive globe of condensed mako energy. He absorbed the globe's power, turning him into a true monster, and even though he had been defeated, his degradation ceased. Even so it was at that point in time that he saw _her_, the goddess Minerva, yet she turned away from him and threw him into oblivion... or was it the Lifestream, he wasn't sure. Nor was he sure when he was trapped within his sword and transported to a different world. Again it didn't matter to him, when the time came and Sasuke was powerful enough, he'd take control... and live once again.

--

Naruto stood in front of a giant cage, staring into the eyes of what he assumed to be the Kyuubi no Kitsune. But what he saw wasn't the massive fox that the Kyuubi had always been portrayed as. Instead a woman, who's beauty transcended all others, stood behind the bars. The woman wore a dark crimson kimono, blood red hair flowing in waves to her mid-back, slitted red eyes staring back at him. But that was not the strangest thing about her; it was the nine tails covered in crimson fur along with two similar furred fox ears on her head. She held her hand out to him, Naruto absently noting that her nails were in the form of claws, "So you finally visit, kit?" her voice was as smooth as silk, "It's been so lonely in here... besides, he's no fun to talk to."

The 'he' she was referring to was silently standing off to the side, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing what Naruto was, except for the feathered headdress, the man's silver hair reaching down to his waist and instead of a shirt he had two leather bands forming an 'X' under his long coat, as well as two silver shoulder guards. He too had a single black feathered wing attached to his right shoulder-blade. Naruto turned his attention back to the woman asking, "Who are you?"

She giggled, "But my boy you already know me as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but you don't know of my true name do you?" Here her lips curled up into a smile, "My true name, is Benihime. But before you ask any questions I have a favor to ask you. Since we are inside your mind, could you change the scenery? It's so depressing in this sewer." Silently agreeing with her, Naruto closed his eyes, concentrating on a different surrounding. The sewer changed to that of a rose covered clearing, a three story mansion could be seen in the back ground. The cage that Benihime was once locked behind shrunk, changing into a choker with the _kanji_ for 'seal' around her neck.

Benihime nodded in approval... though there was one more thing that this mindscape needed in order to satisfy her. With a small wave of her arms, the roses were all covered in a fine layer of blood, the sun turned crimson as the sky took on a blood red color. She lowered herself to the ground, gesturing for Naruto to sit next to her. When he had, she began to talk, "Well, I suppose the only thing to really talk about is the fact that I'll continue to train you in your use of _Benitsune_... as will Sephiroth"

"How would you know about _Benitsune_?" Naruto asked, causing Benihime to giggle slightly.

"My dear boy, who do you think it first belonged to? Besides... I'm sure you'd want to make your mother proud." Naruto's eyes widened hearing this, "Oh, yes, I knew your biological mother very well. She had wondered into my den when the entirety of _Uzu no Kuni_ had been destroyed. Perhaps out of some rare form of compassion, I took her in and nursed her back to health. In all truth I don't know what compelled me to allow her to learn how to wield _Benitsune_... perhaps I saw something of me in her. Either way, because of it she became known as the "Crimson Angel" when she fought in the Third Great Shinobi War."

Sephiroth watched silently as the two continued to talk, sitting down in the field of roses himself. He had accepted the fact that there was little chance of him becoming alive again, so he settled for the next best thing... making sure his image was not forgotten. But in order to do that, he had to give Naruto all of his memories. There was nothing he did that he regretted... it had been all for his mother, the being known as Jenova. That was all he knew when he was growing up, her name and the fact that she had 'died' shortly after he had been born. No one would ever say anything else, he supposed part of it was the fact that they were more concerned about him becoming the ultimate SOLDIER. The other part, he would learn years later, was that Jenova was not his real mother, he had simply been given her cells before he had been born. He guessed that Shin-Ra was afraid of what he might do should he learn the truth.

He had read all of the research books within the Shin-Ra mansion in Nibelheim, after Genesis had revealed the truth to him. He discovered that Jenova was considered a Cetra, an ancient race that once inhabited the planet, and he came to consider himself as Jenova's son. He also came to believe that the human race betrayed the Cetra long ago, and he vowed to take his mother's vengeance. Burning Nibelheim to the ground he made his way to where Jenova was being held captive, laying eyes on his mother who was held within a glass tube. It was the first time, he saw his mother, and she was unlike anything that ever, or could ever, exist. Long white hair covering her left eye leaving only her glowing right eye visible, strange red like wings attached to her back, pale blue skin unmarred save for the tubes attached to her skin... no doubt stealing her power.

He knew he had to do something, and though he knew that there were few who could kill him... he needed more power and knowledge. So he severed his mother's head from the body and jumped into the Lifestream that was flowing below her chamber. He was presumed dead, however he just needed time to fully merge with his mother's head absorbing all of her knowledge. He had been ready to bring down the technique known as METEOR upon the planet, effectively destroying it and fulling his mother's wish. He had been defeated and killed, but death would not stop his desires as he manipulated events even within Lifestream.

When his mother's body had been destroyed, her cells were absorbed into the Lifestream, and when the Lifestream burst from the planet's surface to eliminate METEOR those cells were exposed to the civilians. Those civilians would be infected by what would be known as the Geostigma, eventually dying from it. It had been his hope that when enough people who held the Geostigma died, he would manipulate the Lifestream around him, creating himself a new body and becoming a god. Unfortunately, he had once again been defeated, his temporary body having been killed and that was when his spirit had been pulled into this world and he merged himself with an infant Naruto. Even though his body had been destroyed, his mother's will, her power had been imprinted on his soul... and he craved it again. But he knew that with the queen of hell sealed in the same body, it would be impossible to take control... but he was a patient man.

--

Haku stood in front of Zabuza's crystal tomb, which Hinata had been so kind as to create, his giant _zanbato_ held in her hand, her face lowered to the ground. She found it strange, that Naruto had awoken and visited her just as she was ready to cut herself. She would do anything to feel useful again, so when Naruto offered to give her a purpose... she couldn't refuse. She raised _Kubikiri Houcho_, resting her forehead against the broad side of the blade and closing her eyes. She had once sworn to herself that Zabuza's dreams were her own, his desires were her own... but she had never stopped and asked him what those were. She had followed his orders... and that had been enough for her. But she knew one thing... he had wanted a normal life for the both of them, one where they wouldn't need to run from hunter-nin.

"Do not worry, Zabuza-sama, I'll make your dream a reality," she said softly to herself, "And I'll start... with Naruto-sama."

* * *

Alright, now I know not a whole lot happened in this chapter. It was just mainly background information on everyone. And yes, I know that the three swords are similar to the zanpakuto of Bleach, however that is as much from Bleach that will show up. And yes, I named Kyuubi Benihime, but really, would any other zanpakuto fit? I think not. Speaking of demons, when Nibi no Nekomata shows up she'll need a name as well... any idea's what name I could use?

So, now everyone's revealed. It appears that Tifa has joined Cloud in killing Naruto... where do you think they're heading? Now before you ask why I did three different versions of the Nibelheim missions, I wanted to show the three different points of view. So, which one was the best? And let me tell you something, I thought Genesis was hard to write... turns out Sephiroth is the hardest. And now Sephiroth appears to be returning to the same madness... what do you think will happen? And yes, I'm aware of the fact that at the end of the chapter what Haku did was similar to what both Zack and Cloud did when they got the Buster Sword... but it fit. And now it appears Haku has sworn loyalty to Naruto... you think she'll get over that and fall in love with him or do you think she'll stay that way?

Well, that's that, tell me what you all think and I'll see you next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next week centered more around the three members of Team Seven training in their new powers. All three of them found that they could fly, despite the fact that they only had one wing. How this was possible, none of them knew nor did any of them try that much to figure it out. When not training both Naruto and Hinata hid their wings: on the other hand Sasuke kept his in plain sight as if to say "I'm better then you". On seeing Hinata's wing, Naruto called her 'Kongouseki-Tenshi', or his 'Diamond Angel', while Hinata called him her 'One-Winged Angel'. Haku, when not training with _Kubikiri Houcho_, was teaching Hinata better control over the ice element and, when not training with Hinata, Haku was rarely seen too far from Naruto... much to Hinata's slight ire and jealousy.

At the moment, Naruto was facing both Hinata and Haku in a training match on top of a small lake. While Haku still wasn't used to wielding the large _zanbato_, she was deadly in her combination of ice techniques and _kenjutsu_. The two kunoichi had, at one point, tried to overwhelm him by sending one ice dragon after the other at him, however, _Benitsune_ easily cut through them all. Apparently the lightning arching across the blade not only increased its strength, but also, sharpened it, allowing the odachi to cut through anything and everything. He found it odd though, that it couldn't cut through either _Yukihime_ or _Kubikiri Houcho_... he'd have to figure that out at a later date. Their spar lasted a good hour, after, when Haku was exhausted both Hinata and Naruto took their duel up into the air. Their match lasted another two hours before either one of them were exhausted, lowering themselves back to the ground before collapsing.

By this time Haku returned carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two cups, placing it in front of the two and pouring their tea. After that Haku moved behind Naruto to massage his shoulders. Hinata's eye twitched slightly at this... it was her job to massage Naruto's shoulders! Hinata breathed out slowly, taking a sip of the tea to help calm her. Hinata knew she couldn't be angry at Haku, the elder girl simply needed someone to help guide her... and that person was Naruto. Though Naruto didn't know, he unconsciously brought out a different side of the people that he met, whether good or bad depended on the person's point of view. It was because of this that Hinata would be patient, and trust that _she_ was the only one who Naruto truly loved and cared for.

Naruto found himself torn between Hinata, Haku and oddly enough Benihime. Even though he's only known Haku and Benihime for a week... he felt some kind of attraction. It wasn't nearly as strong as what he would say that he felt for Hinata, but it was there and it was growing. The more time he spent with them, the more time he talked to them, learned of their past... the more he felt for them. The more he could understand their pain, their sorrow, their anguish. Haku's heart and mind having been shattered not once but twice, and Benihime being forced into attacking the village which resulted in being sealed within a human. He could honestly say that he felt for the both of them. Yet he felt like he was betraying Hinata's trust in him. He _knew_ that he cared deeply about Hinata, more so then he'd admit, and he _knew_ that if he ended up falling in love with the other two it may cause Hinata to be hurt... and he'd never want that.

Later that night found Naruto, Haku and Hinata sleeping in the clearing, both girls using one side of his chest as a pillow and his arms around their waist keeping them close. But Naruto could not sleep that night, being kept awake by his restless thoughts. As if in response to his unease, Benihime's familiar presence surrounded him and while she couldn't manifest outside of his mind, he could still _sense_ and _feel_ her. He could _feel_ her arms around his neck, her body pressing on his where neither Haku nor Hinata's did, her voice whispering into his ear, _"What's got you bothered, Naruto-kun?" _He didn't response to her, already knowing that she sensed whatever it was that he was thinking. _"Ah, so that's it, isn't it? You're worried that if you love two other women you'll hurt Hinata's heart, whom you already feel for."_ She paused here, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts, _"There's no way of knowing for certain how she'll react, but in the end it all comes down to you and your trust in her as well."_

Her mind spoken, he thought she would have retreated back into his mind, instead a soft melody drifted into his ears. It was not like those soft and peaceful melodies his mother had sung to him when he was younger, instead, this was darker in tune. Still though, while it was dark, it was peaceful, calming his mind and causing him to fall into a peaceful slumber. Benihime continued her melody even after she already knew he had fallen asleep, the red mist that was her power spilling forth from Naruto's body, covering the three teens and keeping them warm. Benihime would admit that Naruto had impressed her, not many could go through the life he did and end up still slightly sane. She wasn't sure if he was _completely_ sane, but at least he wasn't insane... of course, that may still be up for debate but it didn't worry her.

This she admired about him, this impressed her and perhaps this was the reason why she allowed him to wield the full power of _Benitsune_. She'd admit that Kushina had been extremely skilled with the odachi, but she couldn't wield the full power. Only Benihime could, after all, that blade had been made for her... crafted to channel her unlimited power. But now Naruto had the chance to do something that his biological mother had always dreamed of doing. Because she was bound to his soul as he was to her, this allowed him access to her powers which in turn allowed the full power of her blade to be unlocked. _He_ had the potential of becoming the strongest being alive... and _she_ would make sure that he obtained that title. After all, with _both_ her power _and_ Sephiroth's power, Naruto would become well nigh invincible. She unconsciously licked her lips, happily dreaming of the blood that would soon stain her blade.

--

Naruto stood within the Council chambers back in _Konohagakure_ three days later, the rest of Team Seven to his left and Haku to his right, and he was getting more annoyed by the minute. He didn't know why the entire council demanded to be present during the mission report, he guessed that they wanted to know how good the Uchiha did. Well, at least Kakashi didn't change anything in the report to favor the Uchiha like he did during training. Many on the council glared at him or had looks of worry on their faces when they heard the part about him slaughtering Gato's group. He knew what they were thinking; 'Is the seal breaking?' 'Is the fox gaining control?', not that he cared what they thought.

"Perhaps we should give Haku to the Uchiha... think about the children they could have," one very foolish and idiotic councilman said. Now Naruto had enough of this foolishness, he flared his single wing out blocking Haku from view.

"She is under the protection of the Namikaze clan... if _any_ of you try _anything_, _I_ will make good on my father's threat to bash your skulls in," Naruto said, turning around and heading out the door, "Come, Hinata-chan, Haku, I think my mother would like to know what happened during our mission." With that, the three teens left.

"Well, he's got one thing right," Lu Bu said from the seat that represented the Namikaze clan, "Of course, if he doesn't get to you... then _I_ will." With that the dark armor-clad warrior stood and left the room, heading back towards the Namikaze mansion. Lu Bu walked in as Naruto was talking about the departure from _Nami no Kuni_, apparently Tazuna had named the bridge "The Great Namikaze Bridge", after the 'one-winged angel' that saved them from Gato. Lu Bu, as well as Diao Chan, frowned when they were told of what happened. How both Naruto and Hinata met the spirit that rested inside both of their blades. Yet what had Lu Bu more worried was the fact that Naruto had two souls sealed within him... but he'd trust in his adopted son's strength as he always had. He, also, trusted his judgement as did Diao Chan.

In fact it was Diao Chan was the one to agree with allowing Haku to stay at the estates, not that Lu Bu would have argued against. It would do some good to have more people around the estates... and someone else to train with. It had been boring, with Naruto out on missions there had been nothing to do, but now... Lu Bu smirked to himself, it wouldn't be dull around here anymore. Haku lowered herself to her knees, bowing down to the point where her forehead was touching the ground, "I thank you, and ask only in return to train alongside Naruto-sama."

The next month had Haku learning how to properly wield _Kubikiri Houcho_ from Lu Bu, as Naruto and Hinata went back to doing D-ranked missions with their team. It became a common sight to see both Naruto and Hinata flying together through the sky, either sparring against the other or simply enjoying the other's company. Sasuke returned to being trained under Hayate, and occasionally Kakashi would also show up to help. All three members would be trained by Genesis, Yukihime and Sephiroth respectively, when they were sleeping. Benihime would let Sephiroth teach Naruto in wielding _Benitsune_ and instead face him in strategy games like chess or _igo_. Benihime said that it was to help with his mental strength, but she really just enjoyed beating him in every game.

A week into the second month after their mission to _Nami no Kuni_, found Naruto and Lu Bu out in the stables where both Red Hare and White Hare, Lu Bu and Diao Chan's horses respectively, were kept. Naruto would never admit it to any one else, but he continued to grow closer to Haku, despite the elder girl's submissive nature. Naruto couldn't understand _why_ he was attracted to _both_ Hinata and Haku... he _wanted_ to understand, he just _couldn't_. So, he thought to ask his father while everyone else were busy with other matters. "I don't understand, father," Naruto said, running a comb through White Hare's mane, while his own hair fell unbound around his shoulders.

"Tell me, son. Do you know why Diao Chan will follow me, regardless of what she feels? Do you know why I will do what she wishes even if it is not something I want?" Lu Bu asked, running the brush over Red Hare's massive body. When Naruto did not answer he continued, "It is because we care for each other, because we love each other. I may never say the words 'I love you', but there is no need for it. We simply _know_ that one would _never_ do anything to hurt the other. _That_, my son, is the highest form of love there is." Lu Bu switched out the brush he was using for a comb and moved to groom the red horse's mane. "Besides," Lu Bu added with a small chuckle, "The last time I checked Konoha's laws said that the last of a clan can take on multiple wives." This statement caused Naruto to freeze in what he was doing, making Lu Bu laugh. He just loved it when he got those kinds of reactions from his adoptive son.

It was a good five minutes before Naruto returned to grooming the horse, a frown gracing his lips, "But... wouldn't I still hurt Hinata-chan in some way?"

Lu Bu set the comb aside, running his fingers through the horse's mane, "Naruto, you are still young, only twelve. You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Give it some time, you will either only love Hinata, or you will grow to love both... possibly more, and who knows, perhaps Hinata will come to understand." Naruto moved out of the stall that White Hare was kept in, moving so he stood in front of the one Red Hare was in, giving a small bow to his father and heading out of the stable retrieving his headdress as he went. Lu Bu smiled to himself, "He sure is something, isn't he?" He said more to himself as he patted the horse's neck. Red Hare shook it's neck in agitation, as if to say "Why haven't you taken me out yet?", causing him to chuckle, "Alright you stubborn horse, but stay on the compound grounds." He led the two horses out of the stable to graze in the grass.

--

Naruto had been looking around the village for Hinata and Haku, if for no other reason then to check on the two and see about spending the rest of the day together. Though what his father said had gotten to him... taking on more then one wife. Could he even love more then one woman? Could he even open his heart to more then one? If he couldn't even let Hinata close to his heart what chance was there that he could allow more then one person? Even as he walked, he could feel the phantom touches of Benihime's arms circling around his neck, feel her warm presence surround him. That was another thing on his mind, how Benihime acted as if she _cared_ about him just as much as he cared about Hinata.

Even before he _knew_ who was inside, he could still remember feeling this warm presence. He remembered that when he was young, at night when he was cold, there was something there that caused him to become warm. At the time he neither knew nor did he find out who was doing this; some part of him must not have cared. He could even remember, when he was still only six and alone, the few times when he had awoken from a nightmare crying or just hearing some noise in the night that caused him to fear someone was coming to hurt him, he remembered a warm presence calming him. He could still remember this presence whispering in his ear, singing a soft but dark melody to help him sleep at night.

But that presence had disappeared when he was adopted, replaced by his adoptive mother. Was he completely sure that it was Benihime's presence that he felt? He wasn't but who else could it be? Sephiroth certainly didn't seem like the type to do something like that. Then there was the fact that if it was indeed Benihime, was she doing it because she cared about him like Hinata did... or did she care for him like Diao Chan does? He _wanted_ to believe that it was the former but the latter was much more plausible. Regardless, he was thankful for the comfort that her presence brought him. It seemed that there was little that could calm him down recently and the only thing that could was either Hinata, Haku or Benihime's presence separately or together.

His interest piqued by a commotion on the other side of a fence, interested he used his wing to float up and stand on the top. From there he saw Konohamaru, his friends Udon and Moegi, along with Sakura facing against two others he didn't easily recognize. One was female, blonde hair tied in four pony-tails wearing a battle kimono which, in truth, was more like a mini skirt. The other was male... at least, he hoped was male, the full black body suit and cat ears attached to the hood made it hard to know for sure. The male had picked up Konohamaru by the little boy's collar when the female next to him said, "Kankuro, stop it. You know how Gaara will feel if he found out about this."

The male, now known as Kankuro, drew his fist back, "Don't worry about it, Temari. I'll just teach this little brat a lesson, then we can leave. Besides, if we don't say anything, then Gaara won't find out about it." Temari shook her head, heading over to lean against the fence to show that she had no part in this.

"I'd suggest that you put the grandson of the Hokage down," Naruto said, crossing his arms across his chest, "Plus," he turned his head to the side, where a red-haired teen was standing upside down on a tree branch, "I don't think he'd like that." Kankuro's eyes widened in surprise as he looked where Naruto was, dropping Konohamaru in the process, the little kid running to where his friends were hiding behind Sakura.

"Kankuro, enough... or I'll kill you," The red-head said, before he turned to face Naruto, "I apologize for my teammate." The red-head stared at Naruto before his eyes narrowed as if in confusion, "Who are you and why is it that mother wants your blood?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, about to say his name when he felt Benihime's presence strengthen, surrounding him in a visible red mist taking on a crude version of her human form. This caused the red-head to grab his head in pain, disappearing in a swirl of sand reappearing in front of his teammates, "I am Sabaku no Gaara."

Naruto floated down to stand in front of Gaara, "Namikaze Naruto." Benihime's presence withdrew enough so that it was no longer visible, but Naruto grinned when she whispered something into his ear. So he wasn't the only one with a demon sealed inside of him. Of course, looking closer Naruto could see the thick black rings around Gaara's eyes that resembled those around a _tanuki_. Though at first he thought it was merely out of insomnia. Well, if Gaara was a demon container then things were really going to become interesting. Naruto walked forward, stopping when he was next to Gaara's right, "Tell the Ichibi no Shukaku that Benihime is watching and she is not pleased."

Naruto didn't wait for Gaara's reaction, he merely continued on like nothing happened. He was smirking to himself, when he encountered another group of genin, who bore the symbol of _Kumogakure no Sato._ Two of the members were of little interest to him. One female with long black hair and a male with spiky blonde hair with what appeared to be a small _zanbato_ strapped to the back of his waist. No, it was the kunoichi with the long blonde hair in a ponytail with slanted cat-like eyes that interested him the most. There was something about her, what he wasn't sure. He could hear Benihime laughing deep within his mind which he ignored. It was the spiky-haired male that spoke first, "Just who are you?"

"Usually one gives their own name first when visiting another village or asking another... regardless, I am Namikaze Naruto," he said, glancing at the only male on the team. There was something there as well, though not in the same sense as Yugito, perhaps he'd have to ask Sephiroth later.

The blonde female of the group stepped forward, "I'm Nii Yugito. This is Strife Cloud," she gestured towards the blonde male, "And this is Lockhart Tifa," she gestured to the other female, "And we're here for the Chuunin Exams that are to take place here." Well, that would explain why there were so many teams from different villages gathering. Naruto smirked, things were certainly going to get interesting around here... of course, he'd only be able to take the Chuunin Exams _if_ Kakashi thought the team was ready. Not that he was worried about that, the council would want to show off the Uchiha's power to all of the other countries in the exams. An eager smile spread across his face as he walked on... he couldn't wait.

--

Hinata stood within the garden in the Hyuga estate, watching as the koi fish swam in the pond, this was the only place she could truly calm down. The only place where she'd be able to think without anyone or anything interrupting her. And it was here that she found herself questioning not only her emotions but herself as well. It was here that she found herself questioning what she was to Naruto. She had admitted long ago that she had fallen in love with him... but what was it about him that caused this? Was it nothing more then a childish crush? No, no it wasn't, she had already told herself that, but one question stilled bothered her... what was she to Naruto?

He cared about her, she knew he did. So why was it that she was so worried? Or was it simply the fact that Haku was living there at the estates and spent more time with Naruto? Was she jealous? She'd be lying if she said she wasn't. Or was she worrying about nothing? She knew Haku needed something to give her a purpose, to have a meaning in life. It was how Haku was raised and Hinata understood that, she did but... how far did Haku's loyalty go? Would it eventually turn from blind loyalty to something else? Would Haku see in Naruto what Hinata saw? She was reminded of what Diao Chan had told her once, _"You don't know how you fall in love with someone, nor why you fall in love with someone... you just do."_

She knew Naruto was... how should she put it... emotionally challenged. Though she knew that was more because of the first six years of his life. But she accepted that part of him, knowing that it was difficult for him to allow others into his heart. She knew that Haku could understand him and his pain far easier then she could. Both of them being orphans at one point, where as she was the "Hyuga Princess" as some of the students in the academy had called her once. Yet despite all of that, she still found herself falling for him and he had still come to care deeply about her. That was proof that he was letting her into his heart, that was proof that he was opening up to her, that was proof that they could eventually be together. It was a small ray of light surrounded by darkness, but she held on to that. Even the memories of his kind smile never left her mind.

She missed that smile of his, he rarely ever did smile anymore and if he did, it was the smirk he usually had during a fight. Was it because he was no longer happy? Was it because he no longer remembered his emotions? She knew that wasn't true, but she wished there was something that she could do to make him happy. That was why she always tried to distract him, why she was always next to his side trying to make him happy. And if she should learn that being with Haku would make him happy, as much as it pained her to admit it, she wouldn't do anything to harm the two. As much as she wanted to be with him and be his wife... his happiness meant more to her then her own feelings. She could only continue to do what she had always done... be with him no matter where he went.

* * *

I know that this is much like a filler chapter but that's what I wanted. Any way, the Chuunin Exams are starting and it appears that Cloud and Tifa are now a part of Kumo... that'll be fun. Though it was really more of a way to get Yugito into the story since I wasn't really sure how to do that. But any way it still works.

Kongouseki-Tenshi means Diamond Angel, and I thank Dragon Man 180 for that. Now on another note I'm still up for suggestions about what name I should use for Nibi. I'm also wondering what "Crimson Angel" is in Japanese, so if any one knows that or can find out I would be most grateful. Well I hope that you have enjoyed that chapter and please review and tell me your thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"_Mi fili, veni, veni, veni, mi fili."_

It was nothing more than a whisper, like a mother to her child. Calling him, as if beckoning him somewhere or to someone, yet that was not the strangest thing. The voice was so familiar to him, as if he knew who it was yet any memory was unrecallable. And yet, there were... flashes, of what he thought were memories yet not his own. He saw an entire country destroyed... civilians slaughtered without any hint of remorse. And when the massacre was over, nothing left alive, the shadowed killers left.

"_Mi fili, veni, veni, veni, mi fili."_

Yet one young woman managed to survive the one-sided slaughter, wandering aimlessly before stumbling upon a kitsune's den. This kitsune took the young woman in, nursed her back to health and taught her how to fight. Eventually the young woman left the kitsune's den, wandering once again before settling into a ninja village. When war broke out the woman took the blade the kitsune gave her, and was renowned for her skills in combat. Along the way the woman picked up the name "Akai-Tenshi" or "Crimson Angel".

"_Mi fili, veni, veni, veni, mi fili."_

The flashes of memories increased to the point where all he could see were brief images: a crimson winged woman wielding an elongated katana, surrounded by those she had fought with... betrayed by those she once considered friends because she had to protect the last thing she had in the world of the living, forced into a coma and trapped within a glass cylinder filled with liquidified chakra, experimented on and drained of her power. Yet this woman held such a familiarity with him a chord was struck deep within his heart. He wanted to find this person, free her and learn everything that he could about her.

"_Mi fili, veni, veni, veni, mi fili."_

What caused these emotions to well up inside of him? What was it about this woman that made him want to seek her out? Why was he drawn to her? The woman's visible eye opened, the other covered in crimson locks, staring seemingly at nothing and yet everything at once. At this moment, he could have sworn that the woman was looking right into his own cat-like green eyes. Another line filtered into his ears, soothing yet cold and laced with venom, _"Hic veni, da mihi mortem iterum."_ The single visible eye glowing brightly before everything flashed for a final time and Naruto found himself sitting up in bed.

He untangled himself from the covers, careful not to disturb Haku who slept peacefully next to him. He knew not why she choose to share his bed, perhaps it was the comforting warmth his presence brought her... though it never went anything beyond snuggling up next to him. Finally removing himself from the bed, he made his way to the shower, allowing the warm water to run over his exposed body, soothing his muscles and trying to calm his racing thoughts. He only succeeded in soothing his muscles, his mind was still racing from the... he didn't know what to call it. It could have been a vision, it could have been a memory, or it could have been a strange dream. But no, it felt too real to be a normal dream and he had never experienced anything like what he had seen so it couldn't be a memory.

So that left a vision... but what was that about? He felt as if he should _know_ the red haired woman. As if a deeper part of him knew and yet he simply could not recall. He _knew_ he should have known... he _knew_ he had heard the name "Akai-Tenshi" from somewhere... he just _couldn't_ remember and that _frustrated_ him. Then there was the longing to be near the woman, to search her out and find her. He felt as if he was so close and yet... fists tightening in anger, he slammed against the shower's wall, a spider-web of cracks appearing from the force of the impact. Sighing to himself, he left the shower, and went to his personal study. There he kept not only his own journal, but those of his biological father and mother, as well as other scrolls on different jutsu and various other books. He removed his mother's journal from its place on the self and sitting down behind his desk, he began to read.

His eyes softened, reading through some of the entries, tears stained the pages where she poured all of her sorrows onto the pages. Most were nothing more then incoherent ramblings... the sorrow was simply too much for her. Some were incomplete, as his infant self needed attention or she no doubt protected him from one threat or another. Yet through it all, despite all of the pain and sorrow that had been poured into these pages... she never once stopped loving him as a mother should. It was only when reading this book did his cold heart melt, only ever so slightly, allowing a warmth to spread and grow within him, as if he could truly lower the defenses around his heart and find comfort there, as if he could feel his mother's love surround him. So engulfed was he by this warmth that he did not notice the single tear roll down his face, nor did he notice the _shoji_ doors leading to his study close slightly.

He placed the journal on his desk, and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, more tears stained their way down his face. It was only here, in the privacy of his own study did he allow his emotions to overflow, his emotional defenses shattering like glass and even Benihime's phantom arms encircling around his neck did little to comfort him. Oh, how he longed to know the woman he would have called mother, how he longed to have her alive and with him. Yet these dreams did little more than increase the emotional pain to the point where it felt like a giant tear in his chest had formed. Benihime's sweet whisperings into his ear did little to sooth him, her phantom presence having little affect on him as it had once before. Eventually Benihime's comforting presence lolled him to sleep, as the sun had yet to raise.

Benihime, herself, was completely and utterly confused about what was happening. She was not, however, confused about the boy she held within her arms. She stared up at the crimson sky within the boy's mind, her hand softly running through the avatar of the young Namikaze. She was, however, confused about her own emotions and actions. For the first time in centuries, perhaps even millennia, something was happening that she had thought impossible. She had lived for an uncountable amount of time and in that time she had seen hundreds...thousands...millions of people live and die. All through that time, she had been alone. True she had once in awhile taken a human lover but there had never been any love... any true feelings of caring and devotion. But now... now she found herself caring, found herself developing feelings that she had never known before.

And the irony of it all? The irony was the fact that the one she was beginning to care for... was none other then the one she was sealed inside. The same young teenager who was the son of the man that damned her to a life of containment. The son of the man who ripped her soul from her body and bound her life to that of an innocent child. She despised that man, but for the life of her, she could not despise the child. If she was anything, she was a proud and honorable kitsune, and nothing mattered more to a kitsune then the innocent life of a child. Perhaps that was why she had been the one to comfort him when he was sad, to give him warmth when he was cold, to heal him if he was hurt and perhaps that was why she continued to do so even now. Or perhaps there was something more, something beyond her own motherly instincts and beyond those of her kitsune pride. Perhaps she was, dare she say it... falling in love with her own container? But like the one she was sealed within... did she even _know_ what it was to love?

--

Hinata was worried, more so then she had been in the past and she didn't know what to do. Naruto appeared to be far more distant then he ever had. No matter what she did it appeared that nothing was able to cheer him up. Was it possible that he'd be back to normal if she just waited? But what would happen if she didn't do anything and it only got worse? She couldn't bring herself to answer her own questions, for fear of breaking down. But what else was she to do? She tried to get close to Naruto, get him to open his heart to her and to get him to talk about what bothered him. Yet nothing worked. Were his emotional defenses so strong that nothing was able to get through to him? No, there had to be something she could do... there _must_ be something, _anything_ that she could do.

She understood that it was difficult for him to allow people into his heart. She understood that his experiences in the past left scars on his heart too deep to heal. But it _hurt_ knowing that something was hurting him and there was little she could do about it. It hurt her more then she could describe watching the only person she'd ever come to care about slowly but surely slip away from her. Watching as he distanced himself more and more, whether to protect himself or her, she neither knew nor did she care. All she cared about was seeing him happy, and it hurt knowing that he wasn't. It hurt knowing that she was doing nothing about it and it hurt knowing that there was little that she could do. It hurt knowing she was doing all she could... but that wasn't good enough!

She couldn't just stand by his side and _pray_ that he opened his heart to her. She couldn't just stand there and silently worry about him. She couldn't just stand there and not _show_ him that someone _cared_ about him outside of his adoptive family. That is what drew her to the Namikaze mansion, where she found Naruto in his private study. She had found him there, sleeping in his chair, face still stained with the tears that fell down his face. Seeing him like this... so _vulnerable_, it was enough to finally break down her own defenses. Burying her head as best she could into his unbound sliver hair, she cried. A new tear opened in her heart, she wanted... no, she _needed_ to help him through whatever it was. She'd _force_ him to talk to her if she had to but she was not going to simply stand quietly by his side anymore.

She felt him stiffen in her arms, felt him remove her arms from his neck and for several seconds watched him walk towards the _shoji_ doors that had been left open. For several seconds, she feared that he would walk away from her. Instead he closed them and, turning back to her, she embraced him in a hug before he could make his way back to his desk. Her crystal wing extended, wrapping around him as she buried her face into his chest. His own feathered wing extended around her as he returned the embrace, burying his own face into her soft hair. They stood there like that, comforting each other as best they could. While Hinata was confused about the sudden change in Naruto, a part of her was content in the knowledge that he was not shutting her out like she had feared. Several minutes passed before they composed themselves. Naruto made to move away from her, but Hinata merely tightened her grip on him. "Please, Naruto-kun... please tell me what's bothering you?"

Naruto was quiet for several seconds, arms dangling at his sides and face raised enough so it was no longer buried in her hair. "It... it was nothing. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me, it won't happen again," his voice hollow of any and all emotion it may have held. This only strengthened Hinata's resolve to _do_ something, but there was still the question of _what_ she should do and she currently had no answer to that. Tightening her grip, tears once again threatened to fall from her eyes.

Several hours later the two of them were gliding through the air towards the academy where they were told to meet for the Chuunin Exams. Hinata's eyes still stung from the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes but she managed to keep her emotions under control. They were about to go into an event that would require their full concentration, she couldn't afford to lose to her emotions. When they landed in front of the academy where the Chuunin Exams would be held, Sasuke was already waiting for them. They walked into the building, their wings displayed for all to see.

No sooner had they walked up the first set of stairs then they came across a commotion in the hallway where a group of genin were trying to get into a room labeled '302'. Two genin blocked it, allowing no one to get by and enter the room where the exams were to take place. Naruto and Hinata, however, made their way up one more floor, that was until Sasuke decided to show off and say, "Drop the genjutsu on the door, you're not fooling anyone." The sign that had read '302' changed to '202' revealing that this was the second floor and not the third floor they were supposed to be at.

Naruto sighed in annoyance as he turned around to see Sasuke strike at the genin, who turned out to be a chuunin in disguise, only to have his wrist caught by a genin clad in green spandex. Naruto would have shouted at the Uchiha had not two others come up to where he and Hinata stood. The first was female, brown hair held in two buns, pink Chinese style shirt along with sea-green capri pants. The other was a boy, a Hyuga if the white pupil-less eyes were any indication, long brown hair held in a low ponytail. It was the male that spoke first, "You must be the Namikaze that Hinata-sama talks so much about."

Naruto grunted in response, "And you must be the bastard that she likes to call her brother... Neji." Turning his attention back to Sasuke, he shouted, "Uchiha! We don't have time for this, let's move." Not waiting for a response, Naruto turned and walked up the stairs followed closely by Hinata.

--

Nii Yugito could barely concentrate on the test in front of her, apparently the first part of the Chuunin Exams was a written test. Not that she really had to, they _were_ supposed to cheat and she still could answer these questions in her sleep. After all, she _had_ been trained in the shinobi arts since she could walk. She found it odd, though, that the Raikage never put her on a team to take the Chuunin Exams before. Then again, no one was ever willing to work with her, or even want to be near her. The only ones to ever train her were the BOLT ANBU, who were all emotionless and loyal only to the Raikage, as well as the Raikage's own brother, Kiraa Bii or "Killer Bee" as the man liked to be called. So it was with great pleasure that she was able to take it now. She thanked whatever god was listening for her two current teammates, who knew nothing of the reason why no one wanted to work with her. She did find it strange that the Raikage simply welcomed them into _Kumogakure_'s forces without much questioning, though she supposed that it was mainly because they were still low on their own shinobi forces and could use the extra help no matter where it came from.

When Yugito asked her new teammates why they wanted to join, all they said was that they wanted to find someone. Yugito took that to mean that they were looking for revenge. She had seen how they looked at the Namikaze when he and his team entered the exam room... saw them flinch when they beheld the single black feathered wing. She had gazed briefly into his green cat-like eyes... or was it fox-like? And while his weren't slanted like hers were, she couldn't help but feel drawn. It had almost been like he was able to see right through her and into her soul, sending a shiver down her spine. In her entire life no one had ever been able to get a reaction like that out of her, and it intrigued her. It intrigued her and it bothered her at the same time. What was it that drew her? She had only looked into the boy's eyes for a few seconds, yet there was something within them. He hid it well but she still saw it... saw the hidden pain... saw the hidden sorrow that none should endure. It was almost enough to wrench her heart open... almost.

Even so, she continually found her gaze wondering over towards the Namikaze, who happened to be seated right next to her. While his eyes were seemingly closed in sleep, his busily writing hand proved the opposite to be true. If she didn't know any better, Yugito would think that he was listening to the answers for the test from someone within his own head. That was impossible though, there was no known technique that allowed people to talk through their minds. The only thing close would be the Yamanaka clan's jutsu, but that forced control of the Yamanaka's soul and mind over the target. But Yugito didn't care about whatever it was that he was doing, though a part of her felt like she already knew the answer. And she didn't like the thought of it. The only thing that would explain everything would be if he contained one of the nine tailed demons... like her.

Was that why she had seen the hurt and pain within those eyes? Was that why she was so drawn to him? Was it because she felt like a part of her could reach out and comfort him? Was that why she felt that she wanted to stay by his side and never leave, regardless of what _Kumo_ may want of her? Yet, she wasn't aware of any other _jinchuuriki_ within her own generation, so could she merely be overestimating the silver-haired Namikaze? So why _was_ it the only thing she could concentrate on? Was she making something great out of something that could be nothing? Yet she couldn't help but wonder if it was something. She couldn't help but wonder if he was like her... if he knew of the pain that accompanied anyone who held a demon within their bodies... of the isolation... of the resentment... of the hatred.

She heard a faint giggle in the back of her mind, breaking her from her thoughts and causing her to mentally groan, the Nibi no Nekomata sealed within her always picked the worst time to tease her. Perhaps the neko demon enjoyed teasing her and embarrassing her within her own mind... there probably wasn't anything else for the nekomata to do anyway, _"You know, kitten, if it's bothering you that much then spend some time with him."_ As an afterthought the neko demon added, _"Besides, he's rather cute, what with those whiskers on his cheeks..."_

Yugito did her best to try to ignore the nekomata, in the end she settled with mentally shouting, _"SHUT UP! I'm trying to concentrate!"_ Several moments of silence riegned in her head, for which Yugito was grateful for. Then she could almost _see_ the grin on the neko demon's face, causing her to shudder.

"_Well... if you're trying to concentrate on the boy then let me help you!"_ Images flashed inside her head, of the Namikaze and her together. Some were of the two kissing or simply holding each other, while other images were of the two of them doing things she didn't even _want_ to think about until she was a few years older causing her to blush. Yugito didn't hear the exam proctor congratulate those that remained, telling the genin that they all passed. She didn't hear the proctor explain that this portion of the exam was about the genin's information gathering skills so focused was she on trying to get the neko demon to stop. In the end, Yugito did the only thing she could think of... she screamed.

"_Yoruichi-sama!"_ Yugito heard faint giggling in the background as the images stopped, she refrained from cursing at Yoruichi. Past experiences with the nekomata taught Yugito that arguing with the neko will only give you a headache in the end. Regardless of the neko demon's teasing, Yugito couldn't help but feel as if she wanted what she had been forced to see. She wanted to believe that there was someone else that could understand the pain of the of being a _jinchuuriki_. But above all else... she wanted to believe that she wasn't alone anymore.

--

The clang of metal against metal reverberated across the training ground of the Namikaze mansion. Haku swung _Kubikiri Houcho_, despite the ache building in her muscles, hoping to score a hit against Lu Bu. The attempt got her skidding back several feet, dropping to her knees as exhaustion took its toll on her body, her breathing quick and erratic. "I commend you for training for so long," Lu Bu said from in front of her, "But it's time for a rest." She didn't answer him, instead shooting to her feet and charging him once again.

A simple kick sent her flying, her back colliding with the ground and forcing the air out of her lungs. She struggled back to her feet, leaning heavily against the _zanbato_ to keep her balanced. She couldn't stop now, she couldn't stop training. She had vowed to herself that she'd train and become as strong as she could. She didn't want to make her Naruto-sama unhappy... but more importantly she didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to lose him the same way that she had lost Zabuza-sama... perhaps that's why she would always be by his side. Perhaps that was why that she would share his bed... she'd even share her own body if he asked it of her. Though a deeper, darker part of her knew there was more to it.

She knew there was more to the reason she was so loyal to him. Was it because he had saved her from herself? Gave her purpose after she had lost the will to live? Was she replacing Zabuza-sama with Naruto-sama? Was it because he too understood the pain that came with being an orphan? Of being betrayed and left for dead? She didn't have the answer but she didn't care either. She didn't care why she would follow him. She didn't care if he never came to care about her. She'd offer her services as much as she could and pray that Naruto-sama was pleased. She'd train and become as strong as she could, for there was nothing else she could for now. "I like your style, girl. But, at this rate, you'll kill yourself," Lu Bu said, trying to get the young teenage girl to take a break.

Haku didn't hear him, lost in her own thoughts and fantasies about what Naruto-sama might say to her now. What he might say if he saw her train so much? She knew that as much as Naruto-sama liked to train, he wouldn't push himself as far as she was. Yet the thought of becoming stronger to protect him was all she needed to stand. The thought of his warmth at night in bed... of his arms wrapped around her waist as they cuddled... was all she needed to left _Kubikiri Houcho_. Remembering how he was around her... remembering the way he was the few times she looked into his personal study... was all she needed to renew her determination. She allowed the memory of what it felt like to be near him... of how it spread a warmth through her body, allowing it to sooth her muscles. She ran at Lu Bu, _Kubikiri Houcho_ cutting into the ground as it was dragged behind her, her voice ringing out into the sky above, "FOR NARUTO-SAMA!"

* * *

And so the Chuunin Exams have begun! And yes, I know I really didn't go into the first part of the exams, I had tried writing it all but it really didn't work out like I would have liked. I thank all of those who took the time the time to suggest names for both "Crimson Angel" and the Nibi no Nekomata. And yes, I used Yoruichi from Bleach, but it's the same as I said when I named Kyuubi, Benihime... "Let's face it, is there anything else that really fits?".

About the Latin at the begining of the chapter... I could tell you what it says, but in so doing it would give everything away and I can't have that. What I can tell you is that they are lyrics from the song "One-Winged Angel" Advent Children version. I'll also give a cookie to who can guess just who I'm talking about there.

Benihime is starting to fall for her own container and Yugito is starting to take an interest... I wonder how Hinata is going to react about that when she founds out... of course, I think that won't happen for another few chapters. Expect more action in the next chapter and I hope to see you all then. Remember, please review and tell me what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

How long had she been here? Staring out at nothing and everything at once? How long had she been trapped within liquidified chakra? A year? Two years? Three? Four? She couldn't remember... there was no real way of knowing anyway. The years all just blurred together... though perhaps it had been the most peaceful sleep she had had in ages. Then again had she even been asleep? Of course she had been... or at least she thought she had been. She knew she had dreamed; for indeed, what else could it have been? How she wished she could return to those times, to the time when her son was no older than three.

She knew the dangers of a wish like that, knew that it could do more harm than good. But she hadn't cared for the longest time, for what else could she do while imprisoned? Yet what had she done that deserved containment like this? She had fought with Konoha forces against Iwa... she had fought with all her strength, fought to protect the village alongside the one she would come to love and call her husband. One would have thought that the villagers and the council would have been grateful to her. She was sure that if it wasn't for her during the Great Shinobi War, her future husband may have died several times over. Then again, they had always _assumed_ their 'great hero' had been the one that killed so many and won the war as if by himself. That had never truly bothered her, she never was one to be the center of attention… she was happy enough to be by her husband's side.

Then _that_night happened, the night that the kitsune attacked the village. She had gone into labor earlier that day, and she had just given birth to a wonderful baby boy. That's when Minato showed up, he told her about his plan to use their son to stop the raging kitsune. Of course what she hadn't told Minato was that she had known the very kitsune that was attacking. She never did tell him, she never could tell anyone else after that night for fear of being blamed for the kitsune's attack. She had pleaded with him, begged him not to use their son that way, but he wouldn't listen to her, saying that only a new born baby could contain the kitsune's soul and power. She had still been weak after giving birth, perhaps she could have argued more or harder… she could have done many different things. Either way the stress of the birth combined with the kitsune's attack caused her to black out.

When she awoke, she found that her husband had died saving the village. She found out that her son was used to seal the kitsune's spirit and power. She wanted to hate the man she called her husband. She wanted to hate him for using her… _their_ son like that. She wanted to hate him for ignoring her wishes. But she _couldn't_ and that frustrated her. She knew the kind of life her son would now have. She knew that the villagers wouldn't see their son as the hero her late husband wished. It was then that she swore that she'd protect her son no matter _who_ came after him. Was she being selfish? Or was she only trying to protect her new born son? She couldn't say either way.

She knew of the life that her son would now have. She knew that her son would now be hated by the villagers. She knew that they would see him as nothing more then a painful reminder of what happened, the whisker like marks on his cheeks only adding to it. She swore to herself that she'd defend her son from those foolish enough to act upon their hatred. Many a villager and shinobi alike had fallen to _Benitsune_'s blade, she didn't enjoy killing the very villagers that she had sworn to protect… but she'd protect her child no matter what. Or at least she had, until the one night she had failed… overwhelmed by those in black ANBU cloaks, the kanji for ROOT standing out on the forehead of the white masks. She had underestimated them, and she paid the ultimate price.

Within the years that she had been contained, she had nothing more to do then to think… and plan out her revenge. How dare they take her away from her son! How dare they force her into a coma! How dare they try to steal her power to replicate the Uzumaki _kekkei genkai_! How dare they turn on her after everything that she had done for them! But more importantly, how dare they attack her son for things not in his control! How dare they blame a small and innocent child for their losses! How dare they act upon that hatred! They'll pay, all of them that had ever harmed her son. But how would she carry it out? That was the question to which she had no answer.

She knew that the chakra she was submerged in was keeping her alive; she had no way of knowing if the illness that the doctor warned her about was still fatal or if the liquid chakra had healed her. Or was there ever an illness, had the doctor lied about that as well? She couldn't say, nor would it surprise her if the doctor had lied. Either way, her wrists and ankles were bound and she was not strong enough to escape this confinement. She needed to find a way to escape; there had to be something that she could do! If she couldn't escape on her own power… then she would get someone else to release her. Over the years, she found that she could extend her consciousness into other minds. How it worked she didn't know and she didn't care enough to figure it out. In fact, the only one whose mind she could enter easily was her own son and even then it was only when he was sleeping. It was during that time that she learned of his past by watching his memories as one would a movie.

She had not been pleased by the first six years of her son's life, or more precisely, the three years after she had 'disappeared'. She was, however, grateful that someone adopted him and raised him in her stead. She had tried, every time she entered his mind, to talk to her son but every time failed. She didn't know what was blocking her; perhaps she simply did not have the mental power for it. Yet it didn't matter now, she had been able to show her son some of her own memories. She knew that there was a slim chance that he didn't know it was her, but in due time he'd figure it out, of that she was sure. He'd figure out who she was and he'd seek her out. He would free her from this containment.

Once done, they would punish those that had wronged both of them. They would have their vengeance and kill those responsible for her current situation. Together they would show what happens when you anger a mother and her son. The liquid chakra around her bled red, as if in harmony with her emotions, her lips morphing into a smirk and had she been able to see it… her only visible eye shining brightly.

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Naruto jumped from tree branch to tree branch within the fenced off area of Training Grounds 44... or the "Forest of Death" as the second proctor, Mitarashi Anko, called it. Naruto wasn't intimidated... his feathered wing ruffling in agitation, or perhaps restlessness, he knew not which one. They had been given a scroll with the kanji for 'Earth' on it; apparently they were to find a scroll with the kanji for 'Heaven' on it without losing the one they had. The only problem was that any genin team that made it to this portion could have the one they needed or they could have the same one. They had a full week to find the scroll they needed, then make their way to the tower in the middle of the forest.

It sounded simple enough, but that had been before they were ambushed and he was separated from both Hinata and Sasuke. An abnormally strong gust of wind had swept through the clearing they were resting in; he had tried to use his wing to ride out the gust. The raging winds proved to be the stronger and he had bashed his wing against a tree's trunk when he lost control. Now he was sprinting through the trees, since his wing had yet to fully heal, trying to find where his other teammates had ended up, though he was more worried about Hinata then he was worried about Sasuke. He knew that both of them were strong in their own right, yet this feeling of uneasiness wouldn't leave him. Someone must have used a wind type ninjutsu; it was the only explanation for the gust that had swept through the clearing.

_Benitsune_appeared in his hand, easily cutting through several kunai that had been thrown at him. Naruto came to a stop on the next tree branch, three genin bearing the mark of _Amegakure_surrounding him. "Well, well, look what we came across. A little genin separated from his team." The other two Ame-nin chuckled at this, "So, tell you what, if you hand over your scroll… or you tell us where to find it, we may let you leave with your life." Naruto smirked, he needed something to help vent his frustration and these three genin just happened to be in the right place at the right time… or in the wrong place at the wrong time depending on your point of view.

Naruto reappeared behind the genin, a large gash appearing on the Ame-nin's chest before turning into water. He launched both fuuma shuriken at the other two genin, only to have them turn into water. Naruto smirked as dozens of clones made of water surrounded him; he liked it when he was outnumbered. _Benitsune _flashed, tearing into the water clones like they were nothing, only for two more clones to replace the ones that had been destroyed. Now Naruto was annoyed, he knew the Ame-genin were using the water clones to exhaust him… "Bloody cowards," he muttered under his breath. Normally he would have stayed around and played with them, but he did not have the time to do so.

He knew of only one technique that could help him deal with the Ame genin quickly. The technique involved pouring Benihime's power into _Benitsune _and then with a verbal command, unleash the stored power in a devastating blast. It was a technique that he had only mastered recently… he hadn't even had the time to test it out properly. So, now seemed like the best time to see the full power of the move. Reappearing behind all of the water clones Naruto called out, "Sing… sing for me, my Crimson Princess… _nake_Benihime!" Naruto spun around, pure red energy blasting out of _Benitsune_'s blade and tearing through anything and everything in its path. When the dust settled, the trees within a twenty yard range had all toppled, burying the Ame genin.

Naruto took a few quick moments to search the corpses, finding another scroll with the kanji for "Earth" on it and while it may not be the one they needed, he was going to hold onto it anyway. Naruto spread his wing, now that it was fully healed, and took flight, weaving around the trees as they were spread farther apart this deep into the forest. After few minutes of flying, he noticed that the temperature suddenly dropped which could only mean one thing… Hinata was fighting someone. The thought of what could happen to her, the thought of losing her to a stronger opponent flooded his mind making him angrier then he already was. His anger flowed through him, his silver hair lengthening a few inches as his speed increased.

"_NAKE _BENIHIME!" Naruto screamed out, the red wave like blast tearing through the remaining trees and severing the head of a giant snake which was about to make Hinata its lunch. Naruto hovered protectively in front of Hinata, _Benitsune_'s tip pointing at a kunoichi wearing the mark of _Kusagakure no Sato_. Naruto turned his head slightly, he saw Sasuke off to the side clutching his neck in pain. He saw Hinata behind him, leaning against _Yukihime _and breathing heavily but otherwise unwounded. The _Kusa_-nin chuckled, opening her mouth so that a snake's head appeared, pulling out a double-edged straight sword from the snake's mouth. Naruto gave her no time to react as he appeared right in front of her, their blades clashing against each other.

Hinata watched silently, glad that Naruto was here and she could take a small rest. She didn't know how much longer she could have survived, not after Sasuke had been injured. What exactly the _Kusa_-nin did, Hinata wasn't sure, yet whatever it was caused Sasuke to be in extreme pain. She could see with her _Byakugan _the mark in the shape of three commas, she could also see the dark and foul chakra forcibly injected into Sasuke's own system. What it was doing, she didn't know and perhaps she didn't _want_to know what it was doing to Sasuke. She knew that Naruto could hold his own against the Kusa-nin; this would allow her to check Sasuke and see if there was anything that she could do. As it was, she could only knock him out and hope that whatever it was, he could beat it.

Hinata wanted to help Naruto, she really did, yet she knew that jumping into the fight would only cause him to be distracted. Yet that was not the only reason why she wouldn't help fight. She knew how Naruto got when she was in danger, she knew that anger that built up inside of him and she knew that he needed to release that anger. Jumping in now would only cause him to worry about her safety, and he could be hurt because of it. And if he got hurt because of her, Hinata knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. So she waited, following as Naruto's blade clashed against that of the _Kusa_-nin's.

Naruto himself was getting rather agitated, as the _Kusa_-nin blocked every attack. He had tried using Benitsune's extreme sharpness to cut through the sword the _Kusa_-nin held, it didn't work. His frustration must have gotten to him, for his attacks were becoming more and more erratic and uncontrolled. The _Kusa_-nin's tongue shot out, elongating and stretching until it wrapped around Naruto's neck and bound his wrists behind his back in such a way that he couldn't escape. The tips of the _Kusa_-nin's fingers erupted in blue fire and jammed them into Naruto's stomach, the effects were immediate. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt Benihime's power forcibly suppressed, the lightning around _Benitsune _dying out and his entire body going limp. Naruto was tossed aside, yet he did not fall, his single wing flapping and keeping him hovering in the air. His entire body was surrounded by the green aura that was Sephiroth's power, his silver hair lengthening to his hip and his green cat-like eyes glaring.

He no longer saw a _Kusa _kunoichi whose eyes widened. He only saw an enemy that had taken someone important to him away and so had to die. With a loud shout of "_SHI-NEH_!" Naruto sped forward, intent on killing the _Kusa_-nin. His attacks became more precise, his strikes came quicker, yet his anger did not abate. All he knew was the emptiness that he felt within himself now that Benihime's phantom presence no longer filled him. It felt oddly colder then it usually did, as if a part of himself had died and there was nothing but empty space. He swore that this kunoichi would pay for what she had done, Naruto would kill her himself. And that's what he did; he severed the kunoichi's head from her shoulders, only for the entire body to dissolve into mud.

The battle over and his vengeance taken from him, Naruto screamed out into the sky. He screamed out his anger and he screamed out his frustrations until he felt someone wrap their arms around him. Within his grief he knew it was Hinata that was hugging him, yet that knowledge did nothing to truly sooth him. Knowing that she was there did nothing to relieve the fact that he could no longer feel Benihime within him. He could no longer feel the kitsune queen's power surging through him, even though he knew… he _knew _that she was still deep within him. He allowed Hinata to comfort him as best she could, he allowed his emotional defenses to crumble and he cried. He cried until exhaustion overtook him and he slipped into the peaceful world of slumber.

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Hinata was worried, and not just about her two teammates who were resting under a giant tree root. She had immediately known that they were being followed. Normally this wouldn't worry her, however, her teammates were unconscious and she had no idea when they would recover. Because of this she would be at a disadvantage, yet there was one thing that she could use. Yukihime had shown her new techniques as well as the new form for her katana that goes with those techniques. There were three techniques that went with the new form, though Hinata had only managed to master the first move. However, since Hinata has not mastered getting her sword into its next form in mid-battle she had to do it before hand. Yet that was the tricky part, she not only had to be in harmony with herself but with the ice dragon that was Yukihime as well. Once that was done, she could channel Yukihime's power right into the blade, causing it to change form and become much more powerful.

So Hinata kneeled in the opening, facing outwards, her eyes closed in meditation. _Yukihime_resting in front of her, its pure white sheath glistening in the sun's rays… or what little made it through the tree tops. How long were the enemy genin planning to stay hidden? How long were they going to think they were hiding from her _Byakugan_? It didn't matter to her really, the longer they took to make a move, the more prepared she would be. Yet a deeper part of her worried that she wouldn't be able to defend her unconscious teammates. A deeper part of her worried that she would be overwhelmed in the three-on-one battle that would take place. Then she remembered the promise that she had made to herself, the promise that she would always be by Naruto-kun's side and protect him when she could. This promise gave her the strength she needed to quell the doubts within her, and as the doubts died, her spirits raised.

In harmony with her spirits she rose to her feet, pulling _Yukihime_ from her sheath and uttering two words, "_Mai_, _Yukihime_!" The already long white ribbon lengthened until it was six feet in total length with a diamond shaped bell attached to the elongated hilt, the blade becoming as white as freshly fallen snow. _Yukihime _lashed out in whip form, Hinata vaguely noticed the chain that kept the segmented blade together also turned white, cutting through the bushes where she saw the _Oto_-genin hiding. The bush froze on contact with the blade, before shattering and leaving nothing there but a few pieces of ice behind. _Yukihime_returned to katana form, Hinata holding the snow white blade in front of her ready to defend herself and her teammates.

She took in her attackers; a female with long black hair almost touching the ground, a male with short spiky brown hair and another male with bandages covering the entirety of his face save his left eye and ear. It didn't matter whether these _Oto_-genin were here for their scroll or if they were here to kill her and her teammates. Hinata would not allow them to harm either Sasuke or Naruto… though more importantly Naruto. She really didn't care for Sasuke, yet the Uchiha was needed in order to pass this exam, Naruto however… was much more important to her. She wouldn't allow _anyone_ to harm the one she loved, _certainly_ not when he was defenseless and needed her protection the most.

"_Some no Mai_, _Tsuki Shiro_!" The faint ringing of a bell was all the indication that Hinata had moved behind the three Oto-genin, entrapping them within a circle of ice. The ice quickly shot skywards, becoming more of a cylinder in appearance. Hinata turned intent on shattering the cylinder and thereby killing the three enemy genin, however, her diamond wing shot in front of her to block the chunks of ice as something else shattered it. The three _Oto_-genin stood there, slightly dazed but otherwise fine. Hinata did not allow the surprise to show on her face, instead blurring pass the _Oto_-genin to stand where she had originally been, ready to protect her Naruto-kun.

The genin with the bandages covering his face stepped forward, holding his right arm up which was covered in some kind of metal gauntlet, "If it were not for my Melody Arm then we would have died, as it is, sound shatters ice. Now hand over the Uchiha so we can kill him and complete our mission." Hinata didn't respond, even though she didn't like the Uchiha, Sasuke was still her teammate and she'd defend him as she would Naruto. "Very well, Zaku, kill her."

The one with spiky brown hair stepped forward, "No problems, Dosu, I'll finish her in one shot." Zaku held out his hands, palms facing Hinata exposing to small holes, "_Zankuuha_!" Twin blasts of highly pressurized air came flying at Hinata, who created another pillar of ice to protect herself and deflect the blast. When the pillar of ice shattered, Hinata was no where to be seen, until Dosu raised his Melody Arm to block a sword strike aimed at his neck. A sharp ringing threw Hinata's senses into a loop and she dropped to her knees, feeling as though her eardrums had ruptured. Dosu raised his arm ready to strike, until _Yukihime_ extended and pierced through his chest, encasing the corpse in ice. As _Yukihime _returned to katana form the ice encased corpse fell to the ground, shattering on impact.

Hinata rose unsteadily to her feet, her vision blurry as her senses had yet to return to normal. She faced the _Oto _kunoichi, ready to fight when a scream turned both of their attention to where Zaku had been standing. Hinata nearly fell to the ground in relief, seeing Naruto standing there, dark green energy a vortex around him. Instead she gasped, apparently Zaku had screamed out because he was missing both of his arms at the elbows, _Benitsune _pinning him to the ground. What had happened to Naruto when he was unconscious to cause him to be so angry?

Naruto was in a foul mood and not because of these…. _worthless _genin trying to kill him and his team. No, he was enraged because he had seen her… he had seen Benihime deep within his mind. She had been slumbering, five giant chains keeping her beautiful form bound to the ground of his mindscape. In that moment he saw her, not as a demon and not as a teacher, but as a woman. He saw someone who should not have to be sealed away, and he swore. He swore that he would find a way to free her from her imprisonment. But first they had to get out of this forest and pass the second part of the Exams. Yet the sight that he had awoken to did nothing to ease his anger.

There was Hinata, surrounded and about to be attacked in the back, so he did the first thing that he thought of, he severed the arms of the _Oto_-genin that had been about to attack; stabbing _Benitsune _through the genin as he fell to the ground just to be on the safe side. Naruto walked up to Hinata, the dark green vortex of power dying away as he stood in front of her, staring into her lavender colored eyes. He didn't care that the remaining _Oto _kunoichi was impaled on the sword of a now awake Sasuke. He didn't care that Sasuke's skin was covered in flame like markings. And he didn't care that Sasuke found the scroll they needed to pass this test. All he cared about was Hinata and her safety.

The loss of Benihime awakened something else deep within him. What this was he wasn't sure, but he knew that it had to do with Hinata. He knew she was strong within her own right, he knew that she could take care of herself, yet he wished to protect her all the same. Was this what his adoptive father meant when he said that words need not be exchanged to know that someone loved you, or you loved them? Or was it simply the desire to not lose anyone else so close to his iced-over heart? He knew not which one but he would figure it out eventually. Turning he walked away, picking up _Benitsune _as he went and holding it in a reverse grip, "Come, we're leaving." With that he walked away, Hinata and Sasuke closely following him. None of them noticed a head of blonde hair watching as they headed for the tower in the center of the forest.

* * *

_Nake_: "Sing" Urahara uses this command to unleash a blast from _Benihime_. I used it here because since I named Kyuubi, Benihime, it only seemed to fit.

_Shi-neh_: means "Die Now!" Considering how angry Naruto was at that point it just fit.

_Mai_: "Dance" Rukia uses this command to release her katana into its next state. Now, before you ask why I didn't just give Hinata _Sode no Shirayuki_, the answer is simple... I hadn't planned on using anything from Bleach at the time. I will only use the katana from Bleach in the future for a few other characters, so nothing else from Bleach will appear.

_Some no Mai, Tsuki Shiro:_ "First Dance, White Moon" This is Rukia's first dance or move she uses with _Sode no Shirayuki_. The move involves a circle of ice around her target and then freezes everything within the circle from the ground up.

Now that that's out of the way, there's no real reason why I need to keep the person I was talking about at the start of the chapter, a secret... it's just more fun that way. And before I forget: to avoid confusion in the futurewhen ever the katana's name is in _italics_, like _Yukihime_ or _Genesis_, I am talking about the sword itself; whenever it is typed out regularly, like Yukihime or Genesis, I am talking about the person. I had meant to say that a few chapters ago but it slipped my mind.

And yes, I killed off Zaku, Dosu and Kin. In all truth they really didn't have much of a role. And I killed Kin because... well, I wasn't going to give her to Naruto for the simple fact that I'm leaving it at Hinata, Fem Haku, Benihime (Fem Kyuubi), Yugito, and Yoruichi (Fem Nibi). THAT WILL BE ALL FOR NARUTO'S SAMLL HAREM!!!!!!!! I may decide to give the other girls to other characters but that will be later. With that outt of the way... there really isn't much to say. Except, how do you think Benihime is going to get free and who was that blonde I was talking about at the very end?

Please Review and I hope to see you next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Naruto was mildly impressed by the fights so far. Apparently too many teams passed the second test of the Chuunin Exams; therefore they were holding preliminary matches to see who would advance to the third and final test. Of course, there hadn't been that many fights so far. Sasuke fought against the _Sunagakure _shinobi Kankuro. That battle had been a fast one as Kankuro's battle puppet stood no chance against the fires of _Genesis_and easily burned. Ino fought against the _Kumogakure _kunoichi Tifa, the Yamanaka girl easily fell to Tifa's swift hand-to-hand combat. Sakura lost against Temari, the _Suna _kunoichi easily knocking out the pink haired girl with her large battle fan.

Now it was Hinata's turn to fight against the _Kumogakure _shinobi, Strife Cloud. Naruto wanted to say something to her, he wanted to encourage her and wish her well in her fight. Yet every time he opened his mouth no words would come out. As if sensing his worry, Hinata gave him a reassuring smile and a small bow as if to say, "I will be alright", yet this did nothing to calm his nerves. Something was bothering him; something to do with Cloud. Naruto felt as if he had seen the blonde haired shinobi before, though it was only a faint feeling, like a forgotten dream. He suspected it had to do with Sephiroth, yet Naruto had no way of getting into the SOLDIER's mind. So all he could do was have faith in Hinata's skill, and watch the match.

Cloud attacked first, swinging his buster sword, _First Tsurugi_, down. Hinata easily spun to avoid the strike, lashing out with _Yukihime_ aimed at Cloud's neck. The _Kumo _shinobi rolled forward, using the momentum to spring back to his feet and raise _First Tsurugi _to block another attack from Hinata. The Hyuga heiress immediately pressed the attack, _Yukihime _turning to whip form. Hinata used her speed and agility to easily move around Cloud, who countered by separating a blade from _First Tsurugi _and duel wielding them. Several times Hinata tried to freeze one of the two blades, yet each time the ice was easily shattered. Unable to turn _Yukihime_to her second form, she jumped into the air and threw down her katana. A sheet of ice spread out, covering the arena's floor from where _Yukihime _stabbed into the ground. Hinata landed gracefully on the ice, seemingly ignoring its slippery nature unlike Cloud who was slipping and sliding around.

Cloud stabbed the blade he held in his left hand into the ice to help steady himself and brining up _First Tsurugi _to defend. Hinata ran at him, spinning over a horizontal strike and landed on her hands. She spun, the heel of her foot kicking against Cloud's cheek and sending him flying. Cloud rolled to his feet, raising _First Tsurugi _over his head, the large blade covered in green energy. The blonde shinobi slammed the blade onto the ice covered floor, the green energy flying at Hinata in the shape of a crescent. Hinata back flipped, grabbing _Yukihime _from where it rested in the ground, the sheet of ice melted back into the floor as the blade was pulled free. Hinata coated the blade with her chakra, slicing through the green energy wave causing it to miss her and dig into the wall behind her. Hinata flipped over another crescent shaped energy wave, using her wing to glide and hover in mid-air.

Hinata took this time to calm herself, using the momentary pause in battle to center herself. When she thought she was ready she called out, "_Mai_, _Yukihime_!" Hinata lashed out with the now pure white blade, extending it to whip form and striking where Cloud once stood turning it to ice. Hinata turned, bringing _Yukihime _to block a blow from Cloud. Using his own momentum, she turned and sent him flying towards the ground. Landing on his feet, Cloud pushed off the floor and flew straight at Hinata, his attack once more blocked. The two hovered in the air, exchanging blows before Cloud jumped away. This kept repeating; Hinata trying to freeze Cloud's blades as they clashed while Cloud would simply shatter the ice on the wall before attacking again. The Hyuga heiress angled herself so that her back was to the floor and as Cloud passed over her she called out, "_Some no Mai_, _Tsuki Shiro_!"

Cloud however, was faster as he dodged the column of ice that sprouted up and landed on the arena's floor. As soon as the ice shattered, Cloud was upon her, swinging his buster sword as it was surrounded by a golden glow. _First Tsurugi _separated into six different blades, with five encircling Hinata and the final one hovering above her. Taking hold of one of the blades, Cloud's speed increased as he flew past Hinata, a thin line of blood appearing where he had attacked. Cloud repeated this four more times. Each time Hinata tried to block the attacks but the _Kumo_ shinobi's speed proved to be faster. For the last strike, Cloud took hold of the blade above her and dived down. In a last ditch effort, Hinata's diamond wing, as well as _Yukihime,_came to block the attack. Cloud's strike connected and Hinata was blown into the ground from the force of it.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening and his grip on the railing tightening. When the dust settled, it revealed Hinata lying in a small crater, both her wing and _Yukihime _shattered into dozens of tiny fragments. Hinata struggled to her feet, ignoring the wounds which peppered her body, and though she spoke no louder then a whisper her words echoed around the room, "I… will… not… lose." Hinata coughed up blood, falling to her knees in the process. She struggled to her feet once again, only to have her legs to give out as she collapsed to the ground. Naruto was there within seconds, catching her limp body and lowering her gently to the floor. He repeatedly called her name, though no answer would come as Hinata had fallen unconscious the moment her body gave out from under her.

Rage boiled within Naruto the likes of which had not been felt since the mission to _Nami no Kuni_. That rage boiled over all of his emotional barriers and blue fire erupted to cover his left arm, aimed directly at Cloud who raised the complete _First Tsurugi_ in front of him to defend. The blast however, was never able to leave Naruto's hand as he found himself surrounded and restrained by all of the _Konoha _jounin. Naruto struggled with all of his might to get free, however, the combined strength of the jounin proved to be too much even for his enhanced strength. The silver-haired Namikaze continued to struggle against the jounin. He would have overpowered them if not for something grabbing his ankle.

He looked down, his anger leaving him as he locked eyes with Hinata's own lavender ones. Even as she was carried away to the medical ward, his eyes never left her. Only when the jounin felt that Naruto wasn't going to do anything, did they finally release him. Naruto knelt down, running his hand along the blood that Hinata coughed up, clenching his fist and getting to his feet. The Namikaze raised his head enough so that his green cat-like eyes glared out from underneath his long silver hair. Glaring right at Cloud Naruto said, "Pray that we do not fight in the final test, for I _will_kill you." No one dared say a word as Naruto walked out of the arena, submersed as they were within their own thoughts. Yugito, however, was far more concerned with the pain within the young Namikaze's eyes that he had tried to hide.

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A thought plagued Diao Chan's mind as she rested against her Lord Lu Bu's chest. It was something that had constantly bothered her in the past. It was something that she knew her beloved desired, yet she had no true control over it. She had sworn, when she promised to always be at his side, that his desires were her own. It was with this thought in mind that she found herself slightly depressed. She knew it was the only desire that her beloved had, besides the desire to be the strongest warrior to ever live. She knew that he had been happy to raise Naruto like their own child, though she could still tell that her beloved wished for a blood heir. She had feared that she wasn't able to conceive a child, though not because of a lack of effort on either his or her part, she reminded herself as she contentedly snuggled closer to his chest underneath the covers. A quick trip to the doctor dispelled those fears; so what was keeping her from conceiving a child?

When Haku moved into the estate, she had thought that there wouldn't be enough time for her and her beloved to be alone. Haku, however, offered to do many of the chores she herself would do. Diao Chan had protested, though she was grateful since for as long as she had been doing them, she never realized how many there were and just how little free time that left her. So now she had plenty of time to spend with her beloved, and yet she still failed to give him a blood heir.

Still why this was so plagued her mind. If there was no physical reason she couldn't conceive a child, then perhaps… was it mental? Was she worried about something? And if so… then what? Was she worried that Lu Bu wouldn't make a good father? No, raising Naruto had proven that he was a great father. Then was she worried about herself and how she would be as a mother? Yet in the same respect, hadn't raising Naruto also proven that she was a great mother? There was, however, a vast difference between adopting a six year old child and giving birth to one. Was this what she was so worried about? Or perhaps she was wondering if she really did want a child?

Was she sure she wanted the baby as well? Could she even say that she had ever truly desired anything for herself? Wait, yes she could, but that was for both herself and her family. That was the one thing she had ever truly wanted, was to live with her beloved peacefully away from war. That was why they moved to _Konohagakure no Sato_, to get away from all of the fighting. Did she fear the possibility of war finding them and what would happen to the baby in those circumstances? Then again, what mother wouldn't? So that left the question of, was she ready for this and was this what _she_ wanted as well? She had convinced herself countless times that because this was what her beloved wanted; it was what she wanted as well. But now? Now… now she wasn't so sure about anything.

She shook her head to clear it, moving as little as possible so as not to awaken her beloved. Then another thought hit her, did he know how she felt? Did he know of her uncertainty? And if he didn't know already, what would his reaction be if she told him? These thoughts and more still clouded her mind. Dozens of situations flashed across her mind, causing her spirits to drop and depression to set in. She buried her face into the cruck of her Lord Lu Bu's neck, praying that did something to ease her thoughts. Was she crying now? Where those her beloved's arms wrapping around her shaking body? Trapped within her own morbid thoughts, she did not recognize the warmth that her beloved's embrace brought her. She did not register his hand running through her hair or of his arm tightening around her waist.

Why was this happening to her? She knew… she _knew_ that none of these possibilities playing within her mind would ever happen. She knew that what she was seeing was anything _but_ how her beloved would react. Then why was she feeling so depressed? Even as dozens of reasons raced through her mind, something soothed her. Warmth spread throughout her entire body, calming her frantic mind and frenzied thoughts. Some semblance of peace settled over her and she relaxed into the warm body of her beloved. Yet something deep within her, perhaps deep within her gut or far back within her mind… told her that something would happen soon. And that something could very well be what she'd desired for so long.

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He couldn't believe this… he didn't _want_to believe this. He knew Hinata was strong, he knew that she's far stronger then the other kunoichi that graduated with them. So why had she lost? Was the _Kumo _shinobi stronger then he had first thought? No, it didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was that Hinata had almost _died_ in her fight. The medics still didn't know when or if she was to fully recover. They said the technique that the _Kumo _shinobi used caused massive internal and external damage. Not that he believed the medics, he knew she would heal, the only question was when that would be.

None of that had anything to do with the reason why Naruto was in such a foul mood. It was not simply the fact that Hinata had almost died, that had him clenching his fists in anger. It was not the fact that the _Kumo _shinobi had nearly killed one of the few people he held close to his heart that had Naruto squeezing his eyes shut to prevent any tears from falling. It was the fact that he didn't _do_anything to prevent it. He could have… should have jumped in to block those attacks as soon as he saw that Hinata couldn't keep up with Cloud's speed. So then why didn't he?! Did he fear that if he did so, then it would look like he didn't have faith in her skills? Did he fear that she would be angry with him for interrupting the fight?

But what did that matter compared to her safety?! What did all of that matter compared to her life?! What did his fears matter compared to her safety?! Nothing, nothing mattered more then her life. So he was angry, angry at Cloud for almost killing someone so dear to him but more, importantly he was angry at _himself_for not doing anything when he knew he should have. He should have saved her from that last attack. He should have insured that no harm came to her. He should have done many things, then deal with the consequences. And now because of his inaction, Hinata was lying in a hospital bed, her normally porcelain skin much paler due to blood lost. The only plus, if you could even say that, was that both _Yukihime_ and her diamond wing repaired themselves.

What hurt more was the fact that he had broken his promise, not only to her but also to himself. He had promised that he would protect her, to keep her from harm and he failed her. That feeling pierced through not only the emotional barriers he had but also the ice that covered his heart. It took all of his will power not to break down and cry into Hinata's limp form. It was at times like these that he missed Benihime's presence from within him. He knew that if the demon queen hadn't been forced into such a deep slumber, then she would be here now, comforting him. He could almost _feel_ Benihime's phantom arms around his neck, her warmth spreading through his body. Yet the fact that he didn't, only served as a cold reminder of what happened, only served to make him want to shout his frustrations until his throat was raw. The fact that he didn't, only proved how strong his will was. Instead all of his anger went into his clenched fists, so great was the grip that they were bleeding slightly.

Even then all of the pain… all of the sorrow… all of the guilt… all of the anger, he felt was so great that none of his emotional barriers could contain all of it. After what had happened, he couldn't even tell if any of the barriers around his heart were intact. Even if they were he doubted that they would help with his mood. Eventually it all proved too much to hold in; he needed a way to vent all of these frustrations. Lightning surged to life, arching up and down his right arm and he settled for blasting it at the windows. Even as the glass shattered outwards, it did nothing to truly ease his anger. The only thing that would do that is to face the blonde swordsman who did this to Hinata, only then would his anger abate.

Naruto turned slightly, when an ANBU appeared behind him, saying, "Your match for the preliminarily rounds has been selected." and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto gave Hinata's limp hand a squeeze before disappearing in a flurry of feathers. Naruto reappeared in the arena, standing in front of the _Kumo _kunoichi, Nii Yugito if he remembered correctly. While he might not be fighting Cloud, not until the third part of the Chuunin Exams, the fight should release some of his bent up frustrations. _Benitsune _was already in hand, the blade still easily able to cut into the hard concrete floor as it was dragged. Naruto made the first move as the match began, appearing behind Yugito and swinging his blade down. The katana only hit the floor as Yugito disappeared from sight, with Naruto immediately ducking as she delivered a kick from behind.

Naruto swung at her, only for Yugito to disappear. The silver-haired Namikaze pivoted, lashing out with _Benitsune_ at the _Kumo _kunoichi's neck when he sensed her behind him, only to snarl in anger as she disappeared. Yugito was getting annoyed as well; even with her increased speed, she wasn't able to land a hit on the Namikaze. She knew two things she could do that would help her win. However she didn't want to reveal either, but suspected she wouldn't be able to win any other way. With that thought in mind, she bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood and swiped it along the back of her waist. A _wakizashi_, the wrappings around the hilt yellow, appeared sheathed horizontally on the back of her waist. Grabbing the hilt with her right hand, Yugito pulled it free keeping the blade in the reverse grip. "Consider yourself lucky," Yugito spoke, "You're the first one that I've used _Suzumebachi _on." Naruto smirked, things should finally get interesting.

Both of them disappeared in a burst of speed, the sparks flying off their blades as they clashed the only evidence that they were still in the room. Naruto's strikes became faster, trying to pierce through Yugito's defense, yet the blonde kunoichi's cat-like reflexes easily parried his thrusts and slashes. This frustrated him, why wasn't he able to win?! He was never on the defensive before. No matter who he fought, he was the one that was dominating the fight. Yet this _Kumo _kunoichi was easily able to have the upper hand? That shouldn't be possible. What advantage did Yugito have over him that he was losing like this? He nearly shouted in anger as yet another attack was blocked.

Their high-speed battle came to a stop as their blades locked together, each pushing against the other. Yugito took this time to look into Naruto's eyes, Yoruichi whispered something into her mind, making her eyes widen. Could it be possible? Was Yoruichi really telling the truth? Or was she just being playful again? Yugito couldn't be sure, but there was one way that she could find out. "I know you can do more," Yugito's voice no louder than a whisper so only Naruto could hear. Naruto's eyes widened, what did she know? Did she know about Benihime sealed within his body? But how could that be possible? The only people that should know were those within his own village. How could someone from a different village know?! "And if you will not fight at full strength… then I will make you," Yugito hissed.

The blonde kunoichi jumped back, planning on using all that she had to see if what Yoruichi-sama said was true. And if the neko demon was wrong, then… well, she'd pray that wasn't the case. Holding her blade in front of her, she closed her eyes and relaxed before speaking, "_Jinteki Shakusetsu_, _Suzumebachi_!" The _wakizashi _glowed white, turning into a black and yellow vambrace, a small golden chain connecting it to a single claw upon Yugito's middle finger. And, as if that wasn't enough, dark purple chakra gathered around her shoulders, pumping into her limbs and causing the shoulder, arm and back fabric of her clothes to be blown away. The dark purple chakra arced like lightning, cutting into the floor as the _Kumo _kunoichi yelled out the technique's name, "_Shunko_!" Naruto barely dodged her attack when she was suddenly behind him, the claw grazing his cheek.

Naruto wiped away the small amount of blood from the shallow cut, a symbol resembling a hornet's wings appeared where he had been hit. Yugito took this time to explain, "_Suzumebachi_ has a very special ability. With each hit it not only creates a 'symbol of death', otherwise known as the _homonka_, it also releases a small amount of poison. While the poison isn't lethal on the first hit, however, should I hit the _homonka_ a second time… you will die. It's something I like to call '_nigeki kessatsu_', or 'death in two steps'." Yugito flashed in front of Naruto, bringing down _Suzumebachi_while shouting, "Now show me your strength!" Naruto jumped back as quickly as he could, this time the claw, or perhaps 'stinger' would be a better description, striking his chest.

Naruto bit back several different curses, _Benitsune _clanging against the vambrace as Yugito tried to strike at the two _homonka _symbols. Of course, Naruto recognized the dark purple chakra that the blonde kunoichi used for that '_Shunko_' technique. He had used Benihime's power enough to tell the difference between human chakra and demonic chakra. Of course! That's why Yugito was going all out on him. Her own demon must have told Yugito about Benihime being sealed within him. Which left the question of which demon Yugito held within her? Well, he'd worry about that some other time. Right now he had a match to win. Naruto mentally cursed himself, he had relied on Benihime's power for so long that he never took the time to train with Sephiroth's power. The only time he had really used the ex-SOLDIER's power was on the bridge in _Nami no Kuni_. But that had been more of a combination of Benihime's and Sephiroth's powers.

The Namikaze growled in anger as Yugito slipped through his defenses though at least she was only able to strike at his shoulders before he jumped into the air. He had no time to catch his breath, however, as Yugito was in front of him. He was soon forced back onto the ground, as Yugito kicked him in the chest. Sliding to a stop, Naruto brought _Benitsune_, aiming a slash at Yugito who blocked with a kick against the blade's flat edge. Yugito's other leg kicked out, which Naruto blocked with his forearm. Yugito took advantage of this and stabbed _Suzumebachi_ towards the _homonka_ upon the Namikaze's chest. Naruto's eyes widened, he knew there was no time to dodge the attack. He couldn't die like this. For the first time in a very _long _time, Naruto felt completely and _utterly_ helpless. For the first time in so long, he found himself screaming within his mind for help.

He realized _just how much_ he depended on Benihime's power, how much he depended on her comforting warmth and soothing voice, how much he missed her power flowing through his veins. And how much he just plain _missed_ her. Never before had he known _just how much_ she meant to him. How much he wanted to help and protect her as much as she wished to help him. Never before had he realized how much she knew about him, just how close to his heart she truly was. It's funny really, that now, when he was about to lose, he finally saw things so clearly. Why had he never seen before how much _he_cared about the kitsune demon sealed within him? Or perhaps he never _wanted_to see before because he was afraid that it was a betrayal of Hinata's feeling. And what of Hinata? What would happen to her if he died here? What amount of hurt would his death cause her? What affect would his death have on _everyone_for that matter? He was more worried about Hinata and Haku than his own death.

He couldn't forget about Haku either. The girl already lost one person she swore loyalty to; he couldn't think of what would happen to her if he died. He doubted anyone would be able to stop Haku from taking her life; he had only just succeeded the last time. Was the snow and ice around his heart finally melting? Was that the reason why he cared so much about Hinata, Haku _and _Benihime? Was his heart finally opening to those around him that he _knew_ cared about, or even loved him? Or was it something else entirely?

Either way, here and now he wouldn't be able to win without Benihime's help; he would most likely die against Yugito. He wouldn't allow that, if he died then Benihime would die as well, and that would be breaking his promise to keep her safe. But whatever that _Kusa _kunoichi did to him within the Forest of Death cut him off completely from Benihime. He had no way of awakening her from her forced slumber deep within his mind. Yet even as he was thinking this, two words slipped out of his mouth, "_Okiro_… Benihime." The thick chains binding Benihime within his mind shattered and with a gasp, Benihime bolted up right, her power flooding through his body. Since he was not expecting the wave of power from Benihime, it blasted out of Naruto's body in a bright flash of red and everything went to hell.

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I know, you all must hate me for leaving it at a cliffhanger like that... but it's just so much fun to keep you guessing. Now, about the Japanese words I use here. They are all taken from Bleach Wiki, so if you're wondering what it says you can find it there, or if you find anything worng you can blame them not me. Yes, I did give Yugito Soifon's zanpakutō. Why did I do this? I'm not really sure, I was going to give Yugito a scythe but when I named the Nibi, Yoruichi, it really only seemed to fit. Besides, Soifon is my favorite captain. Before I forget... DON"T KILL ME FOR DOING THAT TO HINATA!!!!!!! You don't know how many times I was kicking myself when I wrote out her fight with Cloud.

So, it looks like Naruto is finally opening up his heart. Though how do you think he'll survive Yugito's attack? Or if he'll survive at all? Then again, it isn't hard to know but what till you see what I'm going to do with him next chapter. You've _never_seen a shikai like what I've got planned... oops, shouldn't have said that, on second thought I'm not sure if I could call it a shikai but we'll see. On another note, what do you think is happening to Diao Chan? She seems a little emotional doesn't she? Of course, I would like to know what you think about Yugito having _Suzumebachi_, but like I said, it only seemed to fit all things considered.

Well, tell me what you think, review and see you next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Nii Yugito had no idea what had just happened. She was about to stab _Suzumebachi_ into the _homonka_ symbol on Naruto's chest, and for a brief second her eyes were filled with sadness. She had thought she found someone like her, had hoped she could find out for sure, but before her hopes where destroyed she was blown away. She picked herself up, her body slightly sore from when she skidded to a stop. She coughed into her arm, waiting for the dust to clear so she could see clearly. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the cloud and see just what caused her to be blown back. Of course, she would have been able to concentrate better were it not for Yoruichi, who was screaming in the back of her mind about finding a long lost friend. Yugito suspected that whatever demon the Namikaze was thought to posses, Yoruichi knew who it was.

Even though Yugito couldn't see, she could tell that whatever had happened to Naruto it dramatically increased his power. It took all of her will power not to fall to her knees, from the weight his sudden power release put on her shoulders. Yoruichi's power coursed through her limbs once more, the purple chakra visibly jumping like lightning from her exposed shoulders and back. This relieved some of the tension she felt, yet the numbness in her stomach felt like a blade had been driven through her. She couldn't believe the _raw_ power she felt coming from where she thought her opponent was. She shuddered merely thinking of what he would be like when he learned how to _control_ all of this power. The dust finally settled; her eyes widened as she saw what had happened to the Namikaze.

The first thing she noticed was that although his outfit was the same, everything else about him was different. His five foot blade turned completely red in color, as if stained with countless amounts of blood. His hair was still waist length, though there were streaks of silver, blonde _and_ crimson running through it, blending together in some strange marble-like pattern. The two _fuuma shuriken_, usually folded on his forearms, combined together, each of the four blades easily as long, wide and thick as a small _zanbato_. The giant _fuuma shuriken_ was hovering behind his left shoulder-blade and unfolded enough to look like some kind of metallic wing. The two feathers attached to the headdress burst into fire, like two flaming tails waving in some unfelt wind. And finally there was an image of a red haired woman floating behind him, and… were those nine _fox _tails waving behind the woman? Whatever this meant, it made for a truly intimidating sight.

Only her natural reflexes combined with the added speed of S_hunko_ allowed her to bring _Suzumebachi_ up to defend herself. Yugito's eyes widening when what see thought was Naruto simply dissolved into nothing, as if had only been an afterimage the whole time and she only _just_ realized how fast the Namikaze moved. Yugito spun, barely catching the blade in her bare left hand as Naruto attacked; the demonic chakra already healing her hand as the crimson blade cut into it. Yugito knew she was fighting a losing battle. Even though this was what she wanted she didn't think he would become _this_ powerful. Yugito knew that Naruto could very well end the fight, and quite possibly her life as well, if he wanted to. The question of _why he didn't_ echoed in her mind.

She had no time to comprehend this question as she tried to keep up with his attacks. Blocking one strike, jumping over another strike, bending backwards to avoid losing her head… it was all a rhythm that she fell into. She couldn't go on the offensive, each time she tried, he used his speed to avoid it and resume his attack. Even the _homonka_ symbols which decorated his body had disappeared. How this was possible she didn't know for sure, since the only way that they _could_ disappear was if she hit it a second time or she willed them away. She did suspect, though, that the power that blasted out of Naruto's form was what negated her _homonka_… but, she'd worry about confirming _that_ when she _wasn't_ in the middle of a battle or when she _wasn't_ trying to avoid getting her head sliced off by a super-powered genin.

If only she had fully mastered _Shunko_, then she might have a chance of winning. Yoruichi had said that when one mastered the technique, they could fire blasts of demonic chakra out of their hands like lightning. As it was, Yugito had only managed to master it up to the point where it only increased her speed and senses. Of course, she had yet to overcome the drawback for using _Shunko_ for long periods of time. Yoruichi had told her that was because the highly dense demonic chakra compacting into the limbs crushed the muscles and bone. Yoruichi went on to explain that the only way to correct this was by continually training with it and getting your body used to it. It was just her luck that she could only maintain the technique for ten minutes before it started to damage her limbs. So how many minutes passed since she started to use it? Yugito couldn't recall but she trusted the cat demon in her to withdraw the demonic chakra should she surpass the time limit.

Yugito blurred out of sight, avoiding a red wave of energy and appearing behind Naruto. Her eyes widened when he spun around, the crimson blade in his hand, it took her a moment to realize it, already surrounded in the red demonic chakra. She knew that she had no time to dodge it, and she also knew that if she didn't do something, then the blast would surely kill her. Acting more on instinct than anything else Yugito concentrated the demonic chakra of _Shunko_ to create a shield in front of her, the resulting clash of demonic energies reacting violently and exploding. Yugito's vision spun before her, causing her to stumble around trying to regain her balance. The ringing in her ears didn't help matters at all nor did her vision want to stop spinning. Her senses overwhelmed and her breath ragged, Yugito collapsed to her knees.

She had lost this fight, she knew this and she knew that there was nothing else she could do. All of her chakra had been exhausted, her body exhausted from using _Shunko_ and she _still_ couldn't focus her vision. She was helpless and there was nothing that Yoruichi could do that would help… or at least anything that wouldn't permanently damage her body. Her thoughts ceased and her vision cleared the second she saw the crimson blade posed and ready to strike at her, the red lightning arcing off the blade and into the ground. She managed to push herself into a kneeling position, staring up into the eyes of her opponent and about ready to yield the match. Instead, Naruto stabbed the blade into the ground and knelt down so they were eye level, saying, "Which do you hold?"

It took Yugito a full minute to figure out what he was referring to, but when she did her eyes also lowered to the ground. "Nibi no Nekomata Yoruichi-sama," her reply barely a whisper, yet she knew he heard it. She half expected him to turn away. She half expected him to hate her. Yet what he did next sent her mind reeling. He reached out, taking her chin in his hand and lifting her gaze to meet his. Naruto, returned to normal as the power left him, his hair returning to silver shoulder length, the fuuma shuriken separating back into two and resting on his forearms and finally his eyes turned a brilliant crystal blue with silts for pupils. If it wasn't for the fact that they were in the middle of an exam, Yugito wouldn't have minded at all if she just continued staring into his eyes.

Of course, what Naruto said next really sent Yugito's senses for a loop, "And I Kyuubi no Kitsune Benihime-chan." Yugito gasped, whether because he held the most powerful of the tailed demons or because he referred to said demon in such a familiar tone, she didn't know. Naruto rose to his feet, "I hope to meet you again sometime." Now he did walk away, leaving Yugito dazed and confused. But she did know one thing; now that she knew she wasn't the only demon container… she didn't want to leave his side. Of course, it didn't help that Yoruichi-sama was back to being playful and filling Yugito's head with rather _mature_ images of herself and the Namikaze _plus _images of both Yoruichi and a person Yugito assumed to be Benihime. If Yugito wasn't so completely stunned by her recent fight, she would have blushed.

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Naruto was not happy with the match ups for the third and final test of the Chuunin Exams. The test itself was to be held tournament style and he was up against Hyuga Neji in the first round. The other fights included; Temari of _Sunagakure_ versus Nara Shikamaru of _Konohagakure_, Lockhart Tifa of _Kumogakure_ versus Tenten of _Konohagakure_, Sabaku no Gaara of _Sunagakure_ versus Uchiha Sasuke of _Konohagakure_, with Strife Cloud fighting the winner of the Namikaze's match. This left them all a month to train until the Third test took place. Naruto knew that he would win against Neji… in fact, he _had_ to win, it was the only way he could fight the one who nearly killed Hinata-chan.

He had, of course, objected to this waiting, but Sarutobi declined, for what _possible_ reason Naruto neither knew nor cared. All he saw was the fact that the person he considered a grandfather was taking his rightful fight from him. He nearly blasted a handful of red lightning at the aged leader in his rage. _How_ he restrained himself he didn't know but suspected that Benihime had something to do with it. Speaking of said demon, he had tried to talk to her about what had happened during his match, but she didn't reveal much information. She said that she had been exhausted by whatever it was that happened, so he allowed her to rest. Though he found it strange that she wanted to sleep after she had been in that forced slumber for a good three days.

So he was left with his own thoughts on what had happened. Looking back, it had felt as if he and Benihime had combined in some way. It didn't feel like he was borrowing Benihime's power, as it had felt in the past when he called upon her aid. Instead it felt as if they were one being… as if their spirits had merged temporarily. He had no real memory of _how_ he did some things during that fight; it was more like Benihime had been guiding his actions; like she was the one who was really fighting and he had merely been mirroring her movements. Increase in fighting skills wasn't the only thing that changed by the… merging, for a lack of a better word. He had also felt… her emotions. He had not given much thought to it while he was fighting, but now… now it was the only thing on his mind.

He had _felt_ Benihime's desire to protect him. He had _felt_ the emptiness that she felt for all those thousands of years she had been alive. He had _felt_ the urge to find someone to be with to make that emptiness leave. But more importantly, he _felt_ Benihime's deepest emotions. Emotions that he doubted she even knew were there. Yet he _felt_ all of these things, feelings he had only thought possible when he was around Hinata-chan. It was unlike anything he could imagine. Yet still, could he love more than one person? Hinata-chan had been with him since he was a child, always silently supporting him and staying loyally by his side. Perhaps he never wanted to admit to himself that he had always had feelings for the Hyuga heiress. Then he meets Benihime-chan and Haku-chan… and all of his emotions are thrown out of whack. But were the emotions he was feeling for them the same ones that he felt for Hinata?

And what of the one that held Nibi no Nekomata? What had caused him to want to say what he said? What made him want to know what demon she held and what caused him to tell her of the demon he held? Was it some subconscious _need_ to know that he was not alone in his burden? And now that he knew that he wasn't the only one… what was it he should do? If how he was treated in his own village was anything to go by… then he couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Yugito. He did know some of the things that she must have felt when she was growing up. The feelings of loneliness… the feelings of pure hatred from those around you… but more importantly the fear of wondering if you would live to see the light of day. Could he abandon her? And yet he had to ask himself why he cared so much.

She was from a different village. It was more than possible that she would have to return by the time the Chuunin Exams were finished. They barely even _knew_ each other yet he didn't want her to leave. If she did abandon her village, Yugito could very well be threatened here in _Konoha_. Yugito was an official ninja and Naruto knew that _Kumogakure_ would not lose their _jinchuuriki_ so easily. So why did he find himself not caring? Why did he find himself not caring what may happen if Yugito stayed with him? What was it that was pulling him towards her? He didn't have an answer… he should have an answer… he wanted… no, he _needed_ an answer.

The fact that he didn't have an answer frustrated him as it always did, and with an animalistic shout he launched a wave of red energy at one of the many boulders which surrounded the training field. The boulder was cut clean in half, but this wasn't good enough for Naruto. Pouring more of Benihime's power into _Benitsune_, Naruto unleashed another wave of red energy, this time completely destroying the boulder. However, Naruto noticed that he felt more drained, though he knew it was from the amount of the kitsune's power he used. It was by far more destructive, however, far more difficult to control… it could very well back fire on him since he had yet to get it under control. That was something he would solve before the finals of the Chuunin Exams.

Naruto had no interest in fighting Neji for his match, but he really didn't have a choice. If he wanted to face Cloud he would have to beat Neji first. Hinata had once told him, when they were younger and taking a break from training, that her cousin had been the main one who bullied her before she began training with _Yukihime_. When Naruto first heard this, he nearly went over to the Hyuga compound to 'teach' Neji a lesson about bullying others. How Hinata managed to keep him from going he still doesn't know, but she did tell him about what happened when they were three.

_Kumogakure_ had always been obsessed with gaining the Byakugan… _any_ village always wanted a new bloodline to gain more power. So _Kumo_ found the chance when an ambassador was sent to _Konoha_ to sign a treaty after the Third Great Shinobi War had ended with Iwagakure's surrender. Later that night Hinata had been kidnapped, only for the kidnapper to be killed by Hinata's father, Hiashi. It was then revealed that the kidnapper was none other than the _Kumo_ ambassador. _Kumogakure_ denied the whole thing and demanded that Hiashi be killed and the body sent to them. The Hyuga Council of Elders killed Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, and sent his body instead.

The reason for this was because Hizashi was of the side branch of the family and, therefore, a seal known as the "Caged Bird" seal was placed on his forehead. When activated the seal destroyed all knowledge of the Byakugan, the _kekkei genkai_ of the Hyuga clan, within the mind of the person to prevent anything from being found out about it. Hinata also told him that the seal can cause immense pain, and the main branch used this ability to keep the side branch in line. Hinata said this made them slaves in all but name and she vowed to change it. When Neji found out about his father being killed instead, his anger only increased and he loathed the main branch. But Neji's anger was more so focused on Hinata, for he saw that if Hinata had not been so 'weak' as to be kidnapped than he would still have his father. This angered Naruto for all he saw was a boy too scared to accept what has happened and move on… much like Inari had been back in _Nami no Kuni_.

None of that was important to him at the moment. What was important was that Naruto knew Hinata wouldn't want him to hurt Neji. He would honor that wish… but if Neji should speak ill of Hinata, well, Naruto wasn't known for his self control. No, he wouldn't waste the power boost that his anger gave him on Neji. Instead, he'd save it… bottle it up inside of him and keep it there. Then, when he faced Cloud, he'd use that anger to give him strength. All of that anger would be poured into one, massive attack… "_NAKE_ BENIHIME!"

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In all of her life, Mikoto had rarely been as worried as she was at the moment. She knew of the mark which adorned the left side of Sasuke's neck. She also knew of the one that created that mark. Everyone in all of _Hi no Kuni_ knew of the man… every shinobi who wasn't above sannin level in power were under orders to flee if they ran into the man. He was also _Konoha_'s most powerful missing-ninja… Orochimaru. The man's lustful ambitions of gaining both immortality and knowing all of the _jutsu_ that had ever been created… and those which had yet even to be discovered, was common knowledge. What troubled her was the fact that Orochimaru was targeting her son.

The shinobi in her immediately knew what it was that Orochimaru was after. It was the reason why so many clans in the other elemental countries hated the Uchiha. It was the reason why the Uchiha clan became so arrogant and it was the same reason why so many countries wanted to capture any member of the Uchiha clan… their Sharingan, their _kekkei genkai_ which enhanced the senses of the eyes. The Sharingan allowed them to not only _see_ what their opponent was about to do, it also allowed them to copy and memorize any kind of jutsu that they saw. However, like with anything it needed to be developed and it could only be activated in a life or death situation. The level of development was determined by the number of comma marks, or _tomoe_, in the red iris, with the most powerful level being three _tomoe_. It was rumored that there was a fourth level to the Sharingan, though Mikoto never discovered if this was true.

She knew her son would do _anything_ to gain the power needed to kill Itachi. The mother in her _wanted_ to believe that this wasn't so. She _wanted_ to believe that the small child she had raised was buried somewhere deep within Sasuke. As she watched her youngest son train, she knew that it was useless to believe that she could save him from the path he had chosen. She had _tried_, of course, to get Sasuke off the path of vengeance, but she knew she had failed. She knew that her son wouldn't listen to anything anyone said to him. Whatever it was that Itachi did to make Sasuke hate him so much… Mikoto didn't know, and perhaps she didn't want to know. Yet the mother still inside of her feared for both of her sons' lives… she just saw nothing she could do at this moment in time.

But there had to be something that she could do! Even if she couldn't see it there must be something that she could do. She wouldn't allow herself to simply watch as her youngest son destroyed himself with his continuous search for vengeance. So… should she tell Sasuke why she thought that Itachi killed the entire clan? Would that stop his mad search for power and revenge? Would that only damage Sasuke's mind more than it already was? And if she did tell him… what would his reaction be? Would he stop hating Itachi? Would his anger be directed at something else? Would Sasuke hate _her_ for not telling him sooner? Would he not believe her and still search for the power to kill Itachi? Would Sasuke believe her yet still seek out Itachi? She wanted to believe that her son would do the right thing, but… was she only fooling herself?

She would have to wait, and continue to try and steer Sasuke away from vengeance. If she succeeded and he listened to her, then she could tell him about what she thought Itachi's reason for murdering the clan. If she failed, however… then there was nothing she could do. But if it came to that, would she be too late? By then, would Sasuke already have done something to gain more power? She could only pray it wouldn't come to that… and hope that Sasuke would listen to her. Shaking her head she turned away, going into the house to brush up on her much dulled shinobi skills in case she failed to keep Sasuke away from vengeance.

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Sasuke glared at the smirking form of Genesis, his fist tightening around the hilt of the sword in his hand. His eyes hardened into a glare as he recalled what he had seen during the Chuunin Exams, of the obvious power that the Namikaze had unleashed and what it had felt like. It wasn't fair! Why didn't he, an Uchiha, have that kind of power?! He deserved it more than that weak _Namikaze_! That power should be rightfully his so he could kill his older brother! He was an Uchiha damnit! He was the strongest! There was none that could match his might! And yet… yet it was painfully obvious that the Namikaze was far beyond him in terms of power. He was determined to prove that _he_ was the strongest no matter what he had to do.

So the minute he got home, he went to see Genesis, demanding that the spirit teach him anything and everything that he knew. Genesis, surprisingly, didn't argue and agreed to train Sasuke. The red-haired spirit went on to say that the part of the power that the Namikaze had used was someone that Genesis knew. Of course, Sasuke didn't care about that fact nor did he care about the fact that the Namikaze 'cheated' and had used a power that was not his own. All Sasuke cared about was gaining more power and getting closer to his ultimate goal of vengeance.

Sasuke was not happy, the red-clad ex-SOLDIER easily beating the young Uchiha. Sasuke picked himself off of the ground, preparing to charge at Genesis. He would gain the power he needed… nothing would stop him… no one would turn him away from his rightful revenge against the man that destroyed his clan leaving only his mother and himself alive. He would kill the man he called his older brother and nothing, no one, or anything could stop him! "I AM STRONGER THAN YOU ALL!" Sasuke shouted and his wing flaring out, he charged forward to gain the power that was rightfully his.

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(A/N) I'll admit, not one of my better chapters, but I didn't want to go right into the month long training nor did I want to write out the rest of the fights... yeah, I'm lazy like that. So, in case you missed it in the chapter I'll repeat it; the finals are like this... Temari vs Shikamaru (we all know who'll win that one), Tenten vs Tifa, Neji vs Naruto (again we know who'll win) with the winner facing Cloud and finally Sasuke vs Gaara. Though you'll have to wait two chapters to see the fights, the next one is only going to be the training month.

Now about what happened to Naruto in his fight against Yugito... well, I did say that you've never seen a shikai like that. Though the more I think about it, the more it looks like a bankai. But I'll leave that up for you to decide. Any way, Mikoto is worrying about her sons and Sasuke is as arrogant as ever... that'll be fun in the future. What happened to Hinata? You'll have to wait until next chapter and Naruto seems to be getting more girls than he can handle... again, more fun for the future.

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review and I'll see you all next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Haku had no clue how she discovered its true name. She had always assumed that because Zabuza-sama named his giant _zanbato_, _Kubikiri Houcho_, _that_ was what the sword's name was. But it wasn't and she could only begin to guess how she heard it. Perhaps it had been when she forced some of her ice-natured chakra into the blade. Perhaps it was when she forced herself to push beyond everything else in her training. Perhaps it was when she continuously reminded herself why she had been training so hard. Perhaps even, it was her desire to protect what was precious to her. It could be one of these things, it could be all of these things or it could be none of these things. She had no sure way of knowing.

But she did know, or at least suspected, she had awakened the katana, because of her desire and the promise she made to herself. The promise that she would stand by Naruto-sama's side as she had stood beside Zabuza-sama. The desire to freeze all enemies that went against Naruto-sama; the desire to become an unbreakable wall of defense to protect him. It was this will… this desire to protect that caused her to hear the name of the sword. And when she uttered the name, the _zanbato_ shifted into a much more traditional katana form, the hilt wrapped in ice blue cloth along with a four-pointed star shaped hand guard. She drew the blade from the sheath upon her back, lifting the blade up and watching as the steel blade glinted like ice in the sun's rays.

She found it strange, that Zabuza's sword would be awakened like this. She knew how the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist crafted their blades. Each swordsman not only added their blood to the steel, but they also continually added some of their chakra to the blade when they forged their weapon. It was said that when a ninja added their chakra to the forging a much more powerful bond was created between the wielder and the blade. Zabuza told her this in the hopes that she would take up swordsmanship… she never did. Instead she opted to learn basic medical techniques and increase the control of her _kekkei genkai_. She expected that _Kubikiri Houcho_ would remain similar to a _zanbato_, not turn into a katana, though Zabuza had never said anything about a spirit inside of the sword. That was, perhaps, the strangest part of her most recent training but certainly not the most important thing on her mind.

In the past _she_ had been the one to be protected. First Zabuza had found her and trained her to be a ninja. Then Naruto saved her from herself and gave meaning to her life. From now on, though, she would do the protecting. Using this katana, she would freeze all those that threatened what she held dear. An unbreakable wall of ice would be erected for defense when she needed it and there would be no escaping her wrath. A blizzard like no other would rage in the sky, a testament to her new found power. With the raging blizzard a powerful dragon would descend, encasing anything and everything that it touched in a block of ice. But before any of that could happen, she needed more training.

She needed to learn to control the power of the dragon's spirit within the katana. Only then could she prove just how loyal she was to Naruto-sama. Only then could she prove that she would stand by his side no matter what choices he made, good or bad, it didn't matter to her. She would stand by his side and nothing… no one would stop her. Haku channeled chakra into her feet and jumped easily several hundred feet above the ground. The clouds above her darkened as she raised the katana over her head and shouted, "_Soten ni zase,_ _Hyorinmaru_!"

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She had failed! How could she continue to stand by his side if she couldn't even prove her strength to him?! She should have won! She should have been able to defeat the _Kumo_ shinobi! But more importantly… what did he think of her now? She knew that he was raised within a household, though mostly it was by his father, which prided themselves on their strength in battle. So what would he think about her now that he saw she wasn't strong enough? Or perhaps, was it because she hadn't trained enough? She wasn't sure but… she would correct her weakness. She swore that she would stand by his side and be with him for her entire life and how could she do that if she wasn't strong enough?!

But she wouldn't just get stronger because she thought it was the only way that he would notice her. She would do this because she wanted to get stronger. She would do it because she cared for him. She would do it because she _loved_ him. She remembered, when she was younger, she had learned about the arranged marriage between herself and Naruto. She was only nine at the time and she had never felt as happy as she had at that moment. Of course, she knew that she shouldn't reveal the fact that she knew so she kept it to herself. Part of her reasoned that she wanted Naruto to choose to marry. She would get him to open his heart to her… she had promised herself that much. Only now, there was something that worried her much more.

The minute she was let out of the hospital she returned to her training, more often than not collapsing in the middle of the field from exhaustion. But it was all wroth it, she would endure and she would become stronger for him. She would not stop, not until she was sure that she would be able to prove what she felt for him. At the same time though, she didn't care what he might think about her, she cared too much for him. Yet she knew that he wouldn't care that she had lost. She knew that he was starting to return her feelings. She could see the change in his eyes every time he had visited her in the hospital. She wondered what had happened during the time she was asleep, recovering. Either way, she knew that he was fiercely protective of her… perhaps that was why she wasn't used to fighting alone. They had always fought side by side, supporting the other and lending aid when needed. Was that why she wasn't as strong as she thought she was?

She tried to ask him what had happened, yet he didn't answer her. This worried her; she feared he was returning to his former isolation. If this was so, then what about what she saw in his eyes? He could try to hide it all he wants, but she's known him for far too long to be fooled by his emotional defenses. She could see it; she knew that his heart was opened much more than perhaps even he knew. So that still left the question of what happened to cause such a change? Only he had that answer and she wouldn't pressure him about it until she knew that he was ready to tell her.

Until that time, however, she had training to do and a new move to perfect. Yukihime told her that this one was harder, because of the massive amount of power drawn from the ice dragon. All of that power needed to be contained inside of the white blade until it could hold no more. At which point all of that stored energy would blast out of the katana, encasing the first thing it hit in ice. The problem that Hinata had with the move was storing all of the energy in the pure white blade, the energy blast continuously fired off when it was half prepared. Well, she'd just need more practice that's all.

"_Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!"_

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Diao Chan walked through the streets of the village, her fingers woven together and resting firmly on her stomach. She did not know what possessed her to go to the hospital and check, but she had and now she was wondering what she should do. She knew that she should tell her beloved. She knew that he would be just as happy as she was about this. But… but a part of her was uncertain. She kept telling herself that it was merely the mood swings playing with her mind. Yet this did nothing to ease her mind. She should be happy about this. Her heart should be swelling with joy about this. Yet… yet she felt oddly empty and worried all the same.

Though perhaps, she was more worried about it than anything else. She was worried about how both Naruto and Lu Bu would take this news. And she wondered if she was ready to be a mother. All these doubts had come flooding back, causing her heart to plummet. She told herself, over and over and over again, that everything would be alright. She told herself that both her beloved and adopted son would be happy. These things constantly repeated in her mind but through it all her heart still felt like a blade had been driven through it. Should she tell her beloved? She certainly should yet the fantasy of what his reaction would be plagued her mind. Again she told herself it was simply the mood swings.

So what if she waited? What if she waited to tell Lu Bu? Would he understand? Or would he be angrier that she had not told him as soon as she found out? She simply _knew_ that he would, yet she could not comfort her aching heart? She knew him better then that and it tore at her heart that she was even _thinking_ that his reaction to the news would be anything _but_ holding her by the waist and swinging her around. After all, it was what he wanted as well… wasn't it? Of course it was. She knew that he wanted a blood heir and now she was able to give him one. So then why was she waiting? Maybe she needed some time to think it over. Maybe she needed some time to admit to herself that she was ready to be a mother. Yet as she had told herself in the past, hadn't raising Naruto been proof enough?

And what of her adoptive son's reaction be? Would he be the role-model an older brother was supposed to be? Would he even react when he found out? She always had wondered why Naruto had turned emotionally void. Was it because she had not raised him properly? Was it because she had not shown him enough motherly love? Or was it something else entirely? Was it something far beyond her control? But if it was her fault… then did that mean she wasn't fit to be a mother? And if she wasn't fit to be a mother… then was she ready to raise a new born baby? Questions without answers filled her mind and a greater depression weighed her heart down. She brought her hand up to wipe the tears away before they had a chance to gather and fall. She couldn't doubt herself now… yet the question of _was she ready_ echoed in her mind.

She knew there was a difference between adopting a child and raising a child. So she questioned herself if she was ready to deal with that difference. She told herself yes. She told herself that she was ready and that her beloved Lu Bu would supportive no matter what decision she made. So what was stopping her telling him? She wanted, deep in her heart, to tell him, but the doubt haunting her mind and numbing her heart stilled her tongue. She knew there would be a time where she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret, and she feared what would happen then. But… she would have to wait and see. She needed time to think this through, she admitted that much.

Lu Bu was already waiting outside of the mansion when she arrived. He must have seen the confused look on her face when he asked, "Is something the matter?" She fought with herself, for several seconds, whether she should tell him right now. The doubt won out in the end and she smiled softly against Lu Bu's armored chest as her hands encircled around his waist. Shaking her head she muttered a soft "Nothing." If only Lu Bu knew the truth behind her chaotic thoughts.

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What was it, Yugito asked herself, that made her want to return? What was it that caused her to seek him out? What was it that caused her to accept the offer to _train_ with him in that super-powered form?! The only up side to all this was that she could get more training time with _Shunko_ and yet it still wasn't enough to beat him. It annoyed Yugito to no end! And don't even _get_ her started on what Yoruichi was doing in the back of her head! She needed to focus on _avoiding_ getting her head sliced off and _not_ on some damn fantasies that a horny demonic cat… GAH! Focus Yugito! Focus!

Growling softly, Yugito barely managed to dodge _Benitsune_ as it stabbed at her head. The crimson blade only nicked her cheek and the demonic chakra of _Shunko_ flowing through her body healed the minor wound within seconds. _Suzumebachi_ lashed out, the stinger upon Yugito's middle finger scarcely missing Naruto's chest even as her other hand gripped _Benitsune_. Yugito swung herself around, her feet landing on either side of Naruto's neck and twisted, effectively snapping the Namikaze's neck. This caused Yugito to tumble to the ground as the Naruto she had been fighting exploded into smoke. Regaining her senses, Yugito rolled to the side as the oversized _fuuma shurikan_ dug itself into the ground where her head had been moments before.

She raised herself off the ground, though staying on her hands and feet with a soft growl escaping her throat. For all intents and purposes she looked like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Perhaps she had trained a little _too_ much with Yoruichi-sama? She pushed off the ground, watching as a red wave of energy passed several inches beneath her. Twisting her body, Yugito caught _Benitsune _against the forearm guard of _Suzumebachi_ and kicked out with her feet. Her foot caught Naruto in the cheek, but it barely caused him to budge as his black feathered wing kept him stable in the air. She pivoted this time, bringing her feet down so that she was crouching on the crimson blade. Grabbing the blade with her left hand to keep herself balanced, she lashed out with _Suzumebachi_. He easily caught her wrist with his free hand, and she realized they were in a stalemate… neither of them could make a move.

She saw the smirk on his face a split second before it happened with no time to react. The lightning across the blade intensified, shocking her and causing her to fall to the ground, momentarily stunned. She landed with a loud 'thud', groaning as she felt the demonic chakra heal her broken bones before fully retreating back to Yoruichi-sama. She had lost… _again_. She had thought that, because she knew what he was able to do, she would be able to beat him. She was wrong and now she was sore all over her body. What had _possessed_ her to train with him? Though, she couldn't really call it training. It was more like him beating her into the ground and calling it 'training' when it was in fact a 'beat-down'. So why had she come in the first place?!

Was it the simple fact that she wanted to be around another demon container? Was it the simple fact that she wanted to know that she wasn't alone in her burden and wanted to remind herself of that fact? Well she really couldn't say that, could she? She knew that Kiraa Bii housed the eight tailed demon. But he was a good decade, possibly two decades older than her, and had always been like a big brother looking after his younger sister. So than was it the fact that there was another demon container that was closer to her age? Back in _Kumogakure_ everyone had only tolerated her. And while she _knew_ that they hated her, the villagers of _Kumogakure_ had never acted on that hatred. The villagers merely made sure that her life was a living hell in other ways. So then was it the simple fact that he _accepted_ her. She didn't have the answers… but she _wanted_ them.

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Benihime had always known that someone was trying to enter the mind of her container. She had been aware since the first attempt the person had made. Not knowing who it was and fearing the safety of her container, Benihime severely limited the mental power of whoever it was. Benihime also made sure that the person stayed well away from the seal where she protected the astral form of her container while he slept, cradling him to her. She knew that she would not always be able to keep track of who entered his mind, knowing that there would be times when her attention was drawn to other parts of his body. So she set up mental defenses that would take care of any intruder. Yet whoever it was, their mental power increased over time and they had slipped through her defenses. But nowhere in her wildest dreams could she have predicted just who it was that was trying to enter into the mind of her container. It was such _delicious_ irony.

Benihime immediately recognized the astral form before her, how could she not? Yet Benihime had never thought that she would see the red-haired female after she had left her den. Benihime was still unsure of the reason why she had helped the human female when she encountered her. She considered it a rare moment of generosity on her part. She was further unsure of why she had taught the human how to wield the blade _Benitsune_. Perhaps it was another form of 'motherly instincts' she thought had been buried deep within her long ago. Or perhaps she had more human tendencies then she first thought… it didn't matter to her in the present, though. It happened and now she had other things she needed to do.

"Have no fear, mother of my container, he will find you." The woman in front of her narrowed her eyes, crimson eyebrows knitted together and a frown gracing her lips. Benihime knew that the human wouldn't be happy with that answer. She knew the wrath an angered mother could have… Benihime had witnessed her own mother's demonic anger enough to know. But what else was she to do? Benihime knew that Naruto was already stressed out with other matters and she feared what he would do if he learned what had become of his mother too soon. Of course, there was the fact that he would be equally angry that she had kept something from him, but she was ready to face that anger. She, also, knew how much it would mean to him if he found his biological mother… but he simply wasn't ready for that yet.

Benihime knew that Naruto was far from the power level that he should be at… to say nothing of his emotional state at the moment. These things combined kept Benihime from revealing his mother's whereabouts to him. She would tell him; of course she would, when she thought he was ready. Naruto was strong, she knew this to be true, but even he wasn't ready to face an army of ANBU level ninja. He would need her help when they went after his mother, but before that could happen, she would need Sephiroth's help. Looking back at the astral image before her, Benihime spoke, "No need to worry, mother and son will have their reunion. After which… you may have your revenge against those that have wronged you." The image of the woman nodded, even as she faded from existence.

Sephiroth walked up next to her now, arms folded over his chest, "Is it wise… to keep this from him?" he asked, though no hint of emotion could be heard in his voice. Benihime nodded her head, not bothering to answer him verbally. Knowing he wouldn't get anything else out of her, Sephiroth uncrossed his arms, holding out a small orange orb. Benihime turned slightly, taking it in her hand as a large scroll appeared next to her. With these two things, her freedom was at hand… or at least a form of freedom.

She knew there was a risk that it wouldn't work and she knew that there was a risk that Naruto wouldn't agree to it. But she had to try. She had to see what she could do. She would not remain sealed within a human for all eternity. Although what she had in mind would free her, she would still be bound mind, body and soul to Naruto. She still ran the risk that if Naruto would die then she would die as well… but it was a risk she was willing to take. With her freedom it would be easier to train Naruto, though much of her power would no longer be accessible to him. In order to correct this, Naruto would have to train with Sephiroth's power. The Chuunin Exams proved that Naruto relied too much on her own power, and while that wasn't normally a bad thing… her power had been cut off from him. This left Naruto weaker than he should have been, and as such he nearly died in his fight at the second test.

If Naruto had not found the power to awaken her from her slumber then… well, she would be at the mercy of the Shinigami. Something she did not want to experience again in the long life ahead of her… _once_ was one too many times for her liking. But she digressed. She still had to link the summoning orb, as Sephiroth had called it, to the Kitsune Summoning Scroll. How she was going to accomplish this… she didn't have an idea at the moment. First she had to check that Naruto was able to summon a kitsune after signing the scroll. No mortal had ever signed the scroll before, mainly because no mortal had been deemed worthy by the kitsune clan. Then there was the problem that if Naruto was able to summon a kitsune… would the kitsune obey his orders? Of course, any kitsune that felt her power course through Naruto's veins would obey no matter what. But the questioned remained… how would she be summoned?

There had to be a way she could bypass the Shinigami's seal which kept her inside Naruto's body. But what could it be? In order to seal her, Namikaze Minato had to make a contract with the Shinigami. This pact normally would have given both souls to the Shinigami, yet Minato choose to seal her soul within his new born son. She suspected Minato knew that her near limitless chakra could not be contained within a fully grown adult and because of this she could have broken free long before the Shinigami was done with his work. Sealing her within a new born barely even an hour old, allowed her chakra to be contained, as the baby had yet to develop chakra and therefore there was no opposite energy to combat her own during the sealing. So if the power of the Shinigami was what was keeping her bound to Naruto's body… then what power could combat that of the death god's?

Should she turn to Inari-sama and ask for his aid? Only another god could under one god's work. It was, after all, Inari-sama who had granted Benihime's ninth tail. Would he be willing to undue another god's work and free her from her prison? Or should she wait and see if her summoning idea worked first? Well, she would have to wait and see what would happen. She didn't even know what Inari-sama would do, if he did agree to help her. A soft smile graced her lips as the image of Naruto appeared and as she began to explain her idea… all she could do, was pray that everything worked out as she planned.

* * *

Fist things first, yes I gave Haku Hyorinmaru. When you think about it, it fits much better then the giant sword Zabuza uses. Now, I've seen Zabuza'a sword turn into two different things; Zaraki's zanpakuto and Ichigo's Zangetsu. I haven't seen one where it turns into Hyorinmaru, besides, as I've said, it fits Haku much more.

Now onto other things. To those who say Diao Chan getting pregnant... I guess I should give you a cookie but I don't have any with me at the moment and I'm too lazy to go and get some. But why didn't she tell Lu Bu? Well... who can tell the reasons when a mind is over run by mood swings? Hinata didn't take the lose to Cloud well and now she's training harder... though don't worry, I'm not going to over-power her... yet. That'll be after the invasion. And yes, Yugito is training with Naruto... anyone have a problem with that?!... I didn't think so. Besides, I needed a reason for her to get close to Naruto. Now Benihime knows that Kushina is trying to reach Naruto and... well, you'll have to wait until after the invasion to see what happens there.

I think I've said enough for now. The next chapter will be the third test to the Chuunin Exams... and maybe the start of the invasion... I'm not sure how long the fights will last nor am I sure that I'll write out all of the fights... I'll have to see how that comes out. Though I'll leave you with a question... Do you think Benihime's summoning idea will work? Why or why not?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kushina had no choice but to trust what the kitsune had told her. If she wanted to see her son again… she'd have to wait. Afterall, she had waited ten years, what were a few more months? But it was her son damnit! As the one that gave birth to him, she had a right to see him as soon as she was able to! To see him again… to hold him in her arms… to sing to him as he slept... that was what she wished and she was getting impatient! Her freedom was so close she could almost taste it! And when she was reunited with her son… then their revenge could become a reality. Their blades would be stained by countless amounts of blood and many would be impaled upon their swords. Yet… was she rushing things? Was she getting ahead of herself?

Should she wait to take their revenge? Being confined within this liquidified chakra was keeping her alive, yes, but it was also keeping her from regaining her strength. She knew that she wasn't at her full strength and if they immediately took their revenge… would she only be endangering herself? Yes, yes she would. She'd be vulnerable and if she was killed… everything that she had planned would be destroyed and she couldn't allow her son to lose his biological mother so soon after they were reunited. She would wait… she would regain her lost strength… she would train her son… and when she thought they were strong enough, _then_they would have their revenge. But she needed her son to find her, and in order for him to find her, Benihime had to lead him to her.

Kushina knew that she could trust the vixen, she knew Benihime-sama enough to know that the kitsune would uphold her word. She remembered when she had first met the kitsune. Enemy shinobi had overrun and destroyed her home country. She alone survived, and even then so, she was barely alive when she managed to escape. She wandered for days trying to find someplace safe that she could rest or a village that could help her. Miraculously, she found the kitsune's den, just as exhaustion, combined with the massive lose of blood, overwhelmed her and she collapsed. When she awakened, Benihime was healing her and offered her the chance to be trained. To this day, she did not know the reason why Benihime-sama offered to train her, and at the time she didn't care.

The grief of losing her home, her family… took control of her heart and she wanted to kill to the ones responsible for it. That was the reason why she accepted the offer, that was the reason why she took the blade _Benitsune_, and that was why she trained so hard. She wasn't sure how long she trained, she wasn't sure when she set out with the blade sheathed across her back, nor was she sure when she found her way into Konoha. But she did remember the first time she met Minato. She was looking for somewhere to train, when she stumbled onto shi training ground and saw him practicing the technique for which he would later become famous, the _Hiraishin no jutsu_. One way or another, she managed to train with him that day, thus beginning their relationship. Not much later the Third Great Shinobi War erupted and there she was, fighting side by side with Minato.

During this time she took to wearing deep crimson battle armor combined with her red wings and she earned the title of _Akai-Tenshi_, or the Crimson Angel. The rest, as they say, is history. She fell in love with Minato, Naruto and three years later she was betrayed by the very village that she had sworn to protect. They kept her, by force, away from her son. Now that she was so close to seeing him again… she had to trust another to lead him to her. All of her motherly instincts told her not to place so much trust in the vixen. Her motherly instincts told her that she could trust no one but herself. There was little that she could do about it though, since Benihime-sama would merely keep her presence hidden from her son's mind. So she would wait, and when her son freed her then she would regain her strength. Only afterwards would they take their revenge.

She glared down at her captors, the liquid chakra bleeding red as her anger mounted. If only she was strong enough. If she had enough chakra then she could shatter the glass which made her a prisoner. How she wanted to rip out the throats of the ROOT ANBU who kept guard of her prison. How she wanted to stain the floor with their blood. How she wanted to feel that crimson liquid drip from her hands as she unleashed her fury. How she wanted to stare into the eyes of the man behind ROOT as her hand wrapped around his neck. How she wanted to watch as the life left the man's eyes. How she wanted to paint the village's buildings in red as she avenged all transgressions against her son. But so long as the tubes connected to her body drained her of her chakra then she could do nothing. She was as helpless as a new born baby.

But soon… so very soon, her son would find her. He would find her and he would free her. They would destroy the ROOT ANBU who held her prisoner. _That_ would be the first step of their revenge before they moved onto the village. None would be sparred… except those that her son deemed worthy. The only ones who would live were the ones that did not view her son as a 'demon' and hate him because of it. She had a feeling, that _that_ list was a _very_ short one. A smile slowly spread across her face as she thought about the events soon to happen… if she could have laughed, she would have.

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It was a grand day for _Konohagakure no Sato_. Royal families and commoners alike from all over the Elemental Countries came to see the young ninja compete. Some bet on the combatants and some just came for the chance to see the young genin fight. All of the genin who were to fight in the up coming matches were already standing inside the contestant's box… save two. Sasuke was late; why the Uchiha hadn't shown up yet, was anyone's guess. Sasuke was probably going to wait until the last second to show up for his match and the civilian council would bend all the rules to allow the Uchiha to fight. But none of that mattered to Naruto and Hinata as they floated above the stadium.

The only thing he was concerned about was his fight with Cloud… rather; he couldn't wait to fight Cloud and he was growing bored with waiting, even though the only two genin to fight so far were Temari and Shikamaru. That fight had been dull and Temari won only because Shikamaru forfeited. Of course, that was _after_Shikamaru had outwitted Temari by coming up with a better battle plan. And now it was Tifa against Tenten, which hands down, was a much more interesting fight to watch. Tifa's hand-to-hand combat skills were, perhaps, some of the best among to genin, but Tenten was a long-ranged fighter. Tifa was clearly at a disadvantage as Tenten hurled wave after wave of different weapons at her.

Tifa slammed her fist into the ground, causing a small earthquake and tossing Tenten to the ground. The _Konoha_kunoichi barely managed to roll to the side as Tifa's foot hit the ground, a cobweb of cracks spreading out from where her heel impacted. Tenten rolled to her feet, picking up a metal reinforced bo staff and twirling it, ready to defend herself. Thrusting her hands into the ground, Tifa lifted a large boulder over her head and hurled it at Tenten. Rolling under the boulder, Tenten struck out with the bo staff which Tifa easily caught in her hand. Pivoting on her feet, Tifa tossed Tenten into one of the arena walls, losing her grip on the bo staff as she crashed into it. Gritting her teeth, Tenten jumped into the air, bringing out two scrolls and allowing them to unroll around her.

Hundreds of weapons appeared, and Tenten sent each one of them right at Tifa. Knowing that there was little chance to dodge them all, Tifa slammed her fist into the ground. Four slabs of iron hard earth rose up and incased the Kumo kunoichi in a small pyramid. The projectiles bounced harmlessly off the shield, and when the lethal wave of weapons ended, the earth pyramid shattered, revealing Tifa completely unharmed. Tenten, seeing that her long-range attacks would be useless, reached into the pouch on the back of her hip and took out another scroll. The scroll contained the greatest piece of weaponry that Tenten's grandfather made in his entire life. Biting her thumb, Tenten ran it across the length of the seal and gripping the sheath as it appeared in a poof of smoke.

It was a simple katana, a black wooden sheath with dull green cloth wrapped around the hilt of the blade. She pulled the blade from its sheath, the steal blade glinting in the sun's light. Tenten had seen her grandfather demonstrate the katana's special ability, explaining why it was so useful. But she couldn't dwell in the past, she had a match to win and she would use this katana to do it. "_Omote wo agero_, _Wabisuke_!" The katana curved forward, looking more like an upside-down 'J'… or perhaps 'hook' was a better description. Tifa merely tightened the gloves on her hand and entered into a defensive stance, ready to defend herself. Tenten ran forward, with Tifa following, each kunoichi intent on winning the match.

Tifa ducked, side-stepped and parried all of Tenten's attacks, unable to attack as each of her own punches or kicks were blocked upon the flat of _Wabisuke_'s blade. As the fast paced exchange of blows continued, Tifa wondered… were Tenten's attacks getting faster or was she reacting slower? Tifa could feel the stored power of the _materia_in her arm slowly counter whatever affect it was, so it was difficult to determine which it was. Even so, Tifa knew that if she used up the _materia_ she wouldn't be able to restore its power, as the _materia_needed the LIFESTREAM which ran like an underground river around the entirety of her home world. True, she had other _materia_ with her, but she wanted to use as little as she could and when there was no other option. During this fight wasn't a time to use the _materia_she had with her, when Cloud was fighting the Sephiroth look a like… _that_ was the proper time to use the _materia_ in order to help Cloud.

Ceasing the healing affect of the _materia_, Tifa immediately dropped to her knees, feeling as if gravity had doubled, or perhaps tripled. Tifa attempted to move any of her limbs, but it was in vain as it felt like there was an invisible force holding her down. Seeing this, Tenten jumped back, "You're wondering how it is that you can't move… aren't you?" Tenten didn't wait for an answer to continue, "That's because _Wabisuke_ has a special ability, it can double the weight of anything that it touches. For example, let's say that a standard sword weighs one and three-quarters pounds. If I were to strike it, the weight doubles to three and a half pounds. I strike it again and the weight doubles, so on and so forth. Eventually, the one who wields the sword can bear the weight no more and they fall to their knees, bowing their heads as if in apology. Hence the name '_Wabisuke_', or 'The Penitent One'."

Tenten paused, allowing the information to sink in before continuing, "I never found out how my grandfather created this katana, but what I found strange when he showed it to me was 'why use this sword when our entire family was long range specialists?' He went on to explain that we could paralyze our opponent, then either end the fight from long range or we could use _Wabisuke_." Tenten appeared behind Tifa, _Wabisuke_'s hook-like blade poised at the Kumo kunoichi's neck. "This fight is over." With Tenten declared the winner, _Wabisuke_returned to standard katana form, Tenten sheathed the blade, though keeping it at her waist instead of returning it to the scroll. She did, however, return the various other weapons she had hurled into the scrolls that they were kept in. Tifa returned to her feet, finding that she could move again and both kunoichi left the arena to watch the next matches.

Neji stood in the arena, a superior smirk on his face when he didn't see Naruto anywhere. Many of the civilians were giddy with excitement, figuring that the 'demon child' was too afraid to fight against the best Hyuga. Lu Bu and Diao Chan had knowing smirks on their own faces, though for far different reasons. It was at this time, that both Naruto and Hinata descended into the arena, Hinata making her way to sit by Lu Bu and Diao Chan while Naruto landed in the arena. _Benitsune_appeared in the silver-haired Namikaze's hand, dozens of lightning bolts arching up and down the blade, "You're not the one I want to face, Neji. Forfeit… or I will not hold back."

Neji's response was to enter into his fighting stance, the superior smirk never leaving his face, "Fate deemed me stronger, and it was fated that you would lose to me just it was fate that Hinata was deemed too weak to pass the second exam." Wrong thing to say, without a word the Namikaze dragged _Benitsune_along the ground, unleashing a wave of pure red energy at the Hyuga. Even as Neji side-stepped the attack, Naruto was in front of him, swinging down with his sword. The odachi dug into the ground as Neji once more avoided the attack. With his hands glowing blue with chakra, Neji lashed out, repeatedly hitting Naruto until he had struck a total of one hundred and twenty-six times. Neji turned and started to walk away, "This fight is over, all of your chakra has been sealed off… you can no longer use any jutsu."

Naruto's smile only widened, "I am far from beaten, Neji." Pulling _Benitsune_out of the ground, Naruto pointed it straight at Neji, "_Okiro_,_Benihime_." The change was instantaneous, a massive cloud of dirt blocking him from view, much the same way when he had first activated this form. The difference was now they were more aware of the merging of their two souls. Benihime still wasn't completely sure how or why this happened when they took this form, but what she did know was that this allowed her power to flow more easily into Naruto, it even allowed her to help guide his moves when he fought. But more importantly then that, it allowed her to practice her favorite past time… singing. For as long as she remembered, a soft melody, humming or singing, was always on her lips.

She was even able to see the outside world again, and not merely through Naruto's senses like in the past. Even if this astral form, which hovered protectively over Naruto, was a very limited sense of freedom… she didn't care. She looked up into the stands, gazing upon the frightened stares of Konoha citizens, her nine tails flicking back and forth, her fox ears twitching with excitement even as a feral smile graced her lips. She leaned down, her mouth right next to Naruto's ear, and continued her song. The lyrics easily passed through her lips, even as her hand covered that which held _Benitsune_. In unison they moved, a wave of pure crimson energy erupting from the blade as it sang through the air. They appeared behind Neji, another wave of crimson energy shooting out from the blade. Instead of dodging the attacks, Neji started to spin around, expelling blue chakra as he did so, creating a dome around him. The twin waves of crimson energy collided against the dome resulting in a massive explosion.

Benihime continued her song even as a frown graced her lips. She knew that Naruto didn't want use so much power on a fight that he had little interest in. He only got so intense because Neji insulted Hinata's strength and called her weak. She knew her vessel, better then he knew himself sometimes, and she knew that he did care about Hinata. More so then he may care to admit to others… but it was there, deep within his soul and she could _feel_ it. As her emotions were open for him to feel… his emotions were open for her to feel. It was strange, for a lack of a better word. She had lived for how many centuries without feeling any of her own emotions. And now the first few emotions she was feeling was of Naruto's own. If that wasn't irony, then she didn't know what was.

Yet she couldn't help but wonder why she cared so much. At first she thought it was merely the mother deep within her. As the days passed on… as she felt more and more of his emotions… as more and more of what she had felt when he was growing up came back to her… as she realized how much of the emptiness she felt throughout the ages disappear… Benihime began to doubt her thoughts. Was what she was feeling more then just simple protection? She couldn't make head or tails of her own emotions; even so, they welled up inside of her, threatening to burst her heart open. Perhaps this… bonding of their souls was affecting her in more ways then she had originally thought. Yet for the first time in perhaps millennia, she was starting to feel whole. As if a part of her soul had been missing all this time and was only now just beginning to return to her. But she digressed.

Right now there was a match to be won, and she couldn't very well have her concentration spilt. Even though she knew that the match against Neji was as good as won… it was really only a matter of time. Though the Hyuga boy's obsession of being 'fated' to be the stronger was annoying her…maybe it was time to show them what Naruto could really do? Time to prove to these weaklings that no one could match him… after all; every alpha female needed her alpha male. Contrary to her prior thoughts, a fox-like grin spread across her face, her song never fading from her lips. In fact, she found herself singing louder… she idly wondered if the entire stadium could hear her song, not that she cared of course. All that really mattered was the fact that Naruto could hear her song… and the more he heard it, the stronger he became.

They, for indeed there was no 'he' or 'she' with their very souls bonded so deeply, were using their increased speed to constantly move around Neji. Waves of pure crimson chakra constantly launched from _Benitsune_, forcing the Hyuga boy to continuously dodge the attacks. They were merely playing with Neji. With a month of training in this form came the realization that they could very well take the title of strongest warriors in all the land from Lu Bu… so what chance did a weak genin like Neji stand against them? Of course, now they were growing bored with the fight, they had thought that the 'prodigy' of the Hyuga Clan would be able to give a better fight. It was time to end this battle; twin waves of crimson energy came flying at the Hyuga boy from different sides. Before they had a chance to collide, they appeared above him, launching another wave of crimson energy even as Naruto screamed out, "_NAKE_, BENIHIME!"

Neji was once more forced to expel chakra from all over his body in a protective dome. When the dust settled, it revealed Neji, his breathing labored and barely able to stand on his own two feet. They appeared in front of him, the flat of _Benitsune_'s crimson red blade held firmly against the Hyuga boy's neck. Naruto leaned in to whisper in Neji's ear, "Remember that you're so called 'weak' cousin is the only thing stopping me from slitting your throat." Naruto resisted the urge to smirk in satisfaction as the Hyuga's eyes widened, "That's right; she was the one that requested that I not harm you." Here Naruto pressed the flat of the blade harder against Neji's throat, "And never… _never _think that you're the only one with a burden." With nothing more to say, the Namikaze heir removed _Benitsune _from Neji's throat and backed away.

The battle over, Benihime would have retreated back into the seal until her power was called upon again by her container… but she didn't. She knew what battle was to be held next and she knew that Naruto wouldn't want to waste time returning to their current form. She could feel anticipation welling up within Naruto. Their heads turned in unison, staring into the eyes of the one that hurt Hinata, licking their lips in anticipation. Their thoughts were interrupted by separate swirls of leaves and fire, revealing both Kakashi and Sasuke. They turned their heads in the new arrival's direction, idly noticing that Sasuke changed into something closely resembling what Genesis wore. Their eyes hardened into a glare as they spoke, "Leave the arena, Uchiha, it is not your time to fight."

"Hmph, it doesn't matter. I'm here, therefore you'll stop and let me fight," Sasuke responded, his own eyes glaring into Naruto's own. "And if you won't move," Sasuke pulled _Genesis_ from his belt, the red flames igniting as it left the sheath, "Then I'll show you that I was always stronger."

Before any action could be taken, three things happened. The first was that a giant three-headed snake burst through the main gate of the village; the second was that Gaara disappeared in a whirlwind of sand and the last was that smoke covered the area where the Hokage had been watching the matches. Naruto was flying towards the Hokage when he heard a demonic roar, turning in mid-air he saw a giant _tanuki_, whom Benihime told him was Shukaku no Ichibi. Beating the tailed demon and making sure it didn't completely destroy the village took precedence over anything else. Naruto halted in the air, barely missing a green wave of crescent-shaped energy. He narrowed his eyes, knowing who it came from and found himself glaring into Cloud's blue eyes. How could he take his revenge when there was a demon to stop? There was no other shinobi that could handle defeating Shukaku… yet he wouldn't turn down the chance to fight Cloud. So how could he do two things at once?

Then again, who said he had to do both? There was the technique that Benihime had showed him. They hadn't given it a proper testing yet, but there was nothing else that he could think of that would work. The only down side was that he wouldn't be able to draw on Benihime's power… and he hadn't trained with Sephiroth as much as he should have. But, he knew he had to do something. He couldn't let the Ichibi roam free and destroy the village and he wouldn't let the chance to fight Cloud pass either. All of Benihime's power was concentrated into his left hand, an orange glow emanating from his wrist. His arm shot out in the general direction of the surrounding forest, the transparent summoning seals spreading outwards from his wrist as he did so.

The giant wave crimson of energy which shot forth from his hand condensed… took shape and slid to a stop. Trees splintered and dust blocked whatever it was from view. All ninja whether from Konoha or from a different village, and even the Ichibi, stopped dead in their tracks as a massive amount of killer intent washed over them. The Konoha shinobi shaking in far more fear then the others… they remembered what could make that killer intent. They knew of only one thing and it was something that they wished they would never have to face again. From within the cloud of dust, a massive beast roared into the sky… making itself known to the world after a twelve year absence.

* * *

And so the invasion begins! Well, Kushina seems a little... dark, but can you blame her? Anyway, Tenten and Tifa's fight was the hardest to type. In hind sight, perhaps pairing those two together wasn't the best idea... but it did make for an interesting fight. So, the reason why I gave Tenten _Wabisuke_ was... actually, I don't think I have a reason and I wasn't really planning on it either. It just happened, but it does work, considering what _Wabisuke_ can do. Well, Naruto completely beat down Neji didn't he? Though, I'm sure you all want to kill me for not including his fight with Cloud, but that will be next chapter.

So, when do you think Naruto will find his mother? Who was it that Naruto summoned to fight Shukaku (not that hard to figure out)? Though I wonder, I let slip one line of Benihime's feelings in the chapter, can you find it and what it means? (I'll give you hint, it's during the fight with Neji) And, what do you think about Tenten using Wabisuke?

And by the way, for any Bleach fans there's a new story in my profile called "WHY?!", it's about Soifon and Yoruichi, in case you're interested. Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Diao Chan didn't know how she had been separated from Lu Bu. They had been evacuating the civilians when enemy shinobi swarmed their position. She and her beloved broke off and engaged the enemy while the civilians escaped. So here she was, surrounded by shinobi with Lu Bu nowhere in sight. Her bladed whip, _Moonflower_, flew through the air, knocking aside kunai and shuriken alike. In situations like this, she would have used her _Shin Kakusei_, or Fury Form. However, the _Shin Kakusei _not only increased her strength, it also drastically changed her appearance, and that was what worried her. She had no way of knowing what would happen to the child within her should she transform. She still worried that even without taking that form, she still risked endangering her baby. But what real choice did she have?

Had she relied on Lu Bu so much in the past? Well, who could blame her? They were always within arms reach of each other during battles and even on the rare occasions that they weren't… he would always find her. This was not to say that she couldn't fight on her own, it was just that currently with her being pregnant she couldn't fight for as long as before. Still, she would have to hold out until her beloved found her, and if her hand was forced then she would transform. She would protect herself and her child, consequences be damned. She could already feel exhaustion setting in. How long had she been fighting? How many enemies had met their end at the sharp point of her whip? She couldn't tell but it didn't matter to her.

A kunai slipped past _Moonflower_, imbedding itself into her shoulder and causing her to stumble back before falling to the ground. Diao Chan pushed herself up, gritting her teeth as she pulled the kunai out of her shoulder and pressed her palm against the wound to stop as much blood from escaping as she could. Looking up, she saw the lecherous leers of the shinobi surrounding her, her fist tightening around _Moonflower_. She would not fall here… she would not _fail _here. She would not leave her beloved… she would not leave Naruto… and she most certainly would not have her unborn child die with her. There was only one choice and she would haveto live with the consequences. Even so, was this the right choice… was there nothing else that she could do? Could she risk endangering her child should she transform? But what else could she do? She knew what these shinobi would do… they'd have their way with her before killing her, and by killing her they would kill her baby and she would never allow that. She would protect that which was growing within her… consequences be _damned_!

The dark violet aura which signaled the transformation blasted outwards, knocking away the shinobi who had surrounded her. Diao Chan returned to her feet, dropping her hand from her shoulder as the transformation healed her. All of her clothes completely dissolved when her skin turned an electric blue, glowing in an angelic light. From the tips of her fingers to just past her elbow and from the tips of her toes to her mid-thigh glowed purple, with the blue of her skin in the shape of what vaguely resembled tiger's stripes. Small purple lightning bolts arched off her forearms and calves, and her hair fell freely down her back. Her speed increased, leaving behind a trail of lightning bolts as she moved about, invisible blades of wind cutting into the enemies as _Moonflower_ sang through the air.

One of the buildings next to her exploded as something smashed through it, sending her rolling across the ground from the shockwave. Pushing herself onto her hands once more, she heard a voice that she hoped she would never hear again, "So I finally found you!" Diao Chan's breath hitched in her throat and she swore her heart skipped several beats when she heard the voice. How was it possible?! _He_ was supposed to be dead! She had seen her beloved impale _him_ upon _Sky Piercer_. She had thought that she had left that life behind when _he_had been killed. It was back when she and Lu Bu were still citizens of Mizu no Kuni, and serving directly under the daimyo, an obese and perverted man who cared for nothing but riches and women. She had been just one of the perverted man's many concubines, and Lu Bu nothing more then the man's bodyguard. She never asked what it was that possessed her adopted father to betray their daimyo, but she had been given the job of turning Lu Bu against the daimyo. She'll admit, she danced before him with the intent of using him… but what she saw within his obsidian orbs changed her mind. She still honored her adoptive father's wish and together she and Lu Bu killed the daimyo. Was it because of this that the land was thrown into constant civil war as rival clans tried to take over? She didn't know and, she knew it was selfish of her but she didn't care. The only thing in her thoughts was what she had seen in Lu Bu's eyes at the time.

So now, after all of this time… how was it possible that the daimyo was alive and ready to _fight_her?! It didn't make any sense! The dust settled and there he was, Dong Zhou, former Daimyo of Mizu no Kuni, but he was nothing like she remembered. Standing before her was a giant, easily two stories high, the body resembling that of an ape with the only clothes an obi tied around his large stomach and dropping down between his legs. Two massivetusks curved upward from the boar like snout, and held within clawed hands was an equally massive ornate golden mace. The only possible explanation she could think of was that he achieved his own _Shin Kakusei_. But that still left the question of how he was alive?! Her question was answered when Dong Zhou shouted out, "I don't care how Orochimarubrought me back to life… and I certainly don't care how I attained this form! All I care about is that I'll finally be able to get my revenge against you and that bastard I called my bodyguard!" With that, he brought the massive mace down upon her.

Diao Chan's mind screamed at her to move. She _had _to move, but her legs weren't listening to her brain's command. She couldn't move and she couldn't breath. Fear took over her thoughts and gripped at her heart. Images flashed within her mind of all the years she had spent with Lu Bu… images of all the years she raised Naruto as her own… images of her future child entered her mind, both of her playing with the child and her beloved training the child. Tears stung her eyes as the thought of it all ending haunted her mind. Closing her eyes, she screamed out in a last, desperate act, her beloved's name ripping out of her throat, "LU BU!" She expected there to be pain before everything went spiraling into darkness, but when none came, she dared to open her eyes. The sight which greeted her, made her heart swell and her soul to soar.

Standing before her, the massive golden mace blocked with his palm, was her beloved himself. The red aura of Lu Bu's _Shin Kakusei _surrounded his transformed self, his grip upon _Sky Piercer _tightening. He turned his head, his own glowing red eyes staring into her own dark purple eyes, "Do not worry, I'll take care of this swine." Anyone else would have been frightened by his more demonic appearance, but she wasn't. His form may have changed, but she could still see the love and care deep within his now crimson orbs. Lu Bu returned his gaze to Dong Zhou, his eyes narrowing as his anger mounted, "I'll put you back in your rotting grave!" Lu Bu pushed the mace up and away from himself, causing the behemoth to stumble backwards from the force of it, and dashed into the air after the giant.

Dong Zhou regained his footing, swinging his mace like he would swat a fly from the sky. Lu Bu easily dodged the clumsy attacks, slowly making his way to the giant's eyes. He brought _Sky Piercer _forward, only to be battered away by one of the behemoth's arms. Righting in the air, Lu Bu once more charged forward only to receive the same results. This time the dark armor clad warrior landed on one of the surrounding buildings. Lu Bu had never been one to make plans or strategies; he always preferred overpowering his enemies with his overwhelming strength. Even so, he knew that he wouldn't be able to protect Diao Chan and defeat Dong Zhou if he solely relied on tactics of the past. So what could he do? Dong Zhou was just as strong as he was and had the advantage of being larger. Lu Bu gritted his teeth in anger, if he didn't do something soon he knew Diao Chan would be hurt… and he couldn't bear that thought.

"You know what?" He could hear Dong Zhou's voice, "I was going to kill you quickly, but I think I'll keep you alive long enough to see me kill that backstabbing whore before I finish you!" Lu Bu's enraged roar filled the sky, his hand clenching _Sky Piercer _so tightly that his fist turned white. Forget about plans! Lu Bu was going to pound Dong Zhou into the ground! He pushed off the roof, the ledge shattering from the force of his dash into the air.

Dong Zhou batted Lu Bu away with one of his massive arms, sending the enraged warrior crashing through one of the buildings. When Lu Bu charged out of the hole, he was battered into the ground. He could vaguely hear Diao Chan's scream as he picked himself up only for he, himself, to scream as the golden mace repeatedly slammed into his back. He could not die here… him! Lu Bu! The greatest warrior in all the lands! He would not be beaten here! Not by anyone! And especially not by this _worm_ he was fighting! Lu Bu stood upon shaking legs, _Sky Piercer _held loosely in his hand and his breath ragged. He noticed the mace come down upon him, yet he could not make his feet move… could not raise his arm to block the attack. Images of Diao Chan flashed through his mind, of the past and what would happen to her if he was beaten here.

His mind screamed at his limbs to move… he would not die here! His death would bring forth untold pain to Diao Chan… and he swore long ago that no form of pain would ever harm her! Then why couldn't he MOVE! "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Diao Chan's agonized scream tore through his thoughts and ripped him back into reality. Pure instinct alone caused his arm to shoot up and catch the golden mace. Images of all the years he and DiaoChan spent together flashing through his mind. Seconds later he was above the behemoth, pouring all of his power into _Sky Piercer_. He could see her tear stained face as clear as day, even as her scream echoed within his mind. An animalistic roar blasted into the sky and he threw _Sky Piercer_ down, the four-bladed halberd spinning like a buzz saw. _"Do not worry, I would never do anything to make you sad." _The day that he made that promise played through any other thoughts he had, repeating over and over before his eyes. He would not end here! He promised Diao Chan that he would protect her from any form of pain… from anything that would make her sad… and from anything that would hurt her… and his death would cause her pain. And that was something that he would NEVER allow! He would win this day! If for no one else, then he would win for Diao Chan alone! This he SWORE! Dong Zhou had no time to react as _Sky Piercer _split him in two, the two halves of his body shrinking and losing the animalistic appearance. With no energy left, Lu Bu's _Shin Kakusei_ disappeared, and he fell to the ground.

Diao Chan was next to him within seconds, her hands gripping his armor and her face buried in his chest. He felt her body shake as she sobbed, her tears pooling on his armor. Had he had enough strength, he would have ran his hand through her hair in an effort to calm her, but as it was all he could do was lay there and watch her cry. He did not know how long they were there, but her soft voice broke though any thoughts he may have had, "I… I feared the worst." He could hear the sobs which plagued her words, "I…I…" Diao Chan never began her sentence as she broke down into more sobs. The sight of her crying tore his heart apart and he reached out, holding back a groan as pain shot through his body. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close to his chest, waiting for her sobs to subside. When they did, she raised her head, looking into his eyes and spoke, "There's… there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

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Benihime breathed in deeply… relishing in the fact that she could feel her chest expand and deflate with each breath. She relished the fact that she could feel the wind blow through her fur as her tails lazily swung about. She relished the fact that she could feel the purr reverberate in the back of her throat. She relished the fact that she was _alive_ and in her _own _body. She let loose a joyous howl, not caring who heard her. Her summoning idea had worked! True, she could still feel the choker around her neck which symbolized the Shinigami's seal… but she didn't care about that! It worked and now she was free! Still she knew Naruto wouldn't summon her without cause and she had a pretty good idea of what it could be already. And if she was right, then she really was the only one who would be able to beat it.

When the dust settled, she was greeted with the sight of the sand demon Shukaku. She growled in the back of her throat; of all the nine-tailed demons, it had to be the most bloodthirsty. Of course, Shukaku was also the weakest, which meant she could win the battle using very little of her power. No more then twenty feet away, black flames shot into the sky, twisting and swirling like a tornado. When the flames subsided, there stood an equally massive black cat, its fur appearing to _be _black flames. Benihime gave a slight nod of her head, she knew Yoruichi was close, she just didn't think that the neko demoness would appear. She turned back to Shukaku, her voice booming out as she spoke, "Retreat now, Shukaku. I do not have the patience to deal with you." The sand demon answered by launching several balls of highly condensed air at the two demonesses.

Yoruichi jumped away from the attack, her yellow eyes widening slightly as she saw Benihime not move a muscle. When the dust settled, Benihime stood there unharmed, a shield of solidified red chakra in the shape of an octagon dissipated around her. "I just got out! And I plan to have as much fun as I can!" Shukaku yelled out, shooting several more balls of air from his mouth. The shield of red chakra sprang back to life shielding the kitsune from the attack, though, this time she felt some of its invisible blades of wind. She ignored it of course, it only felt like a small itch upon her skin and the wounds had already healed. She didn't have time for a prolonged battle with the psychopathic sand demon… even though she no longer was held within Naruto's body; they still shared some form of bond. Through that bond, she could feel he was already fighting someone. If it was who she thought it was… someone would need to calm him down.

She opened her mighty maw, red chakra gathering and forming a small orb, shooting off in a beam when there was enough energy gathered. The red beam blasted past Shukaku, vaporizing much of the sand demon's lower left side. Normally Shukaku would have regenerated his wounds with sand and he would have; had the superheated chakra not turned those wounds into glass. As it was, the sand tanuki tried to balance on his two remaining limbs… he failed miserably, falling onto his side. Benihime walked up to him, towering over the tanuki as she spoke, "Human form… _now_." Her voice left no room for argument; both Shukaku and Yoruichi followed the order. Benihime shifted into her own human form, making her way to Shukaku, who transformed into a monk, prayer beads around the tanuki's neck with the kanji for seal on each bead. The Suna genin Gaara, who stood next to the tanuki, shook slightly as if afraid for his life.

A pair of arms wrapped around Benihime's neck, causing the kitsune's eye to twitch ever so slightly. She should have expected Yoruichi would do this. They may be the best of friends, but the neko demoness was far more playful then she should be. Not to mention that Benihime knew Yoruichi wasn't wearing anything; the neko always had the tendency to switch from cat to human form without clothes, that… and she could feel the breasts pressing into the back of her kimono. "So good to see you again, Beni-chan!" Yoruichi tightened her hug, only to find that the kitsune demoness had gotten out of it. Yoruichi sighed, her chocolate skin covered in black flames as her clothes appeared. She wore a traditional _shihakusho_, though the sleeves and back were missing from the kimono top, and ordinary white socks with traditional Chinese shoes adorned her feet. Over all of this, she wore a long-sleeved white _haori_, with the kanji for 'two' within a rhombus in black on the back, which also hid her twin cat tails from view. The same black choker that Benihime wore was around Yoruichi's neck, her dark purple cat ears nearly blending into her long purple hair which was kept in a ponytail. Yoruichi crossed her arms just under her amble chest, Yugito standing next to the neko demoness.

Benihime turned back to the village, planning on sending one of the other demons to deal with the snake that had appeared, only to find that a massive toad with two katana strapped to its back had already dealt with the three-headed snake. That made things easier for her, as now she could focus solely on helping Naruto. It also helped that Shukaku had one of his rare sane moments and decided to help her. Of course, Benihime knew she couldn't fully trust Shukaku but the sand tanuki wouldn't try anything for as long as she was there. Now all she had to worry about was finding Naruto, if, for no other reason, then to be there if things started to get… messy. She motioned for the others to follow her, and the five of them disappeared… two in swirls of sand, two in pitch black flames, and the last in crimson fire.

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Hinata could hear the distinct clashes of metal against metal as Naruto fought high in the sky, but she had no time to dwell on his fight. Staring her down was Tifa. Why the Kumo kunoichi was fighting her, Hinata did not know, though she suspected it had something to do with why Cloud was fighting Naruto. She had tried to ask the Kumo kunoichi when Hinata had blocked an attack aimed at Naruto, but Tifa wouldn't answer her. Hinata swore that she saw something in Tifa's eyes that said the kunoichi didn't want to fight her, and was only interested in Naruto. Whatever it was, Hinata would not stand by and watch as the one she loved fought against two opponents. She would make good on her promise and stand by his side, regardless of what may happen… and _show_ him how much she cared for him.

Hinata's hands lashed through the air, deflecting or blocking Tifa's attacks, her movements graceful and dance-like. She decided against using _Yukihime _for this battle, the desire to find the reason behind all these fights out weighing the need to end it quickly, even as the urge to go and help Naruto rose within her. She knew how Tifa fought, and she knew that the Hyuga hand-to-hand fighting style would be much better against the Kumo kunoichi. Hinata's Byakugan already activated, the veins around her eyes bulging out and her vision increasing. She could see a half dozen glowing orbs in Tifa's arms, what these were and what they meant, Hinata didn't know but she had a feeling she'd find out soon enough. Hinata caught Tifa's punch, her other hand coming up to catch a second punch and her leg blocking a kick. The two female fighters stood there, their eyes locked in a glare before Hinata spoke, "Why is it that you're so intent to fight Naruto-kun?"

Tifa fell backwards, pulling Hinata with her and placing her feet on the Hyuga's stomach. When the Kumo kunoichi hit the ground, she kicked out, shooting Hinata into the sky. Tifa jumped up, her hands and feet striking out when she was within range, yet each and every attack was blocked by the Hyuga girl. Hinata flapped her wing once, easily getting out of striking distance and forcing Tifa to land back on the building's roof. Hinata had no time to catch her breath as Tifa lept at her, the Kumo kunoichi's hands and feet covered in a green glow. Hinata blocked all of the attacks, noticing that the attacks were stronger, and one of the dozen orbs in Tifa's arms was shinning brighter then the others. Hinata narrowed her eyes, she assumed the orbs were some form of battle enhancement… but whether it was just physical, she didn't know yet.

Hinata could already feel her muscles becoming exhausted. At this rate, Hinata didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold out. She was faintly aware that Yukihime was doing her best to help, but even so Hinata knew it was only a matter of time before she wouldn't be able to continue the fight. If she failed here, then Naruto would be fighting against two opponents. She knew he was strong, but she worried about what he would think if he saw that she lost her fight. Would he still think so highly of her? She knew that he cared about her… Diao Chan had told her what Naruto did when she lost against Cloud in the Preliminary Matches. Didn't that show that he cared more about her safety then her winning every fight? Either way, she would win this fight… and prove her strength. Hinata grabbed Tifa by the wrist, pivoting in the air and hurling the Kumo kunoichi towards the ground.

Tifa easily landed on her feet, and was about to jump back up only to find that her feet were frozen to the roof. She slammed her fist against the ground, easily breaking the ice and back flipping away. Hinata stood straight, her eyes closed and breathed slowly to calm herself. _Yukihime _remained were she was stabbed into the ground, ice spreading out in all directions. Tifa struggled against the ice which coiled around her arms and legs like a snake, one of the _materia_ in her right arm shined red, fire erupting upon her limbs. With another _materia_ shining green, she could feel her strength grow. With the combined power of the two _materia,_Tifa broke free of the constricting ice, but it was already too late. Hinata was in front of her, the Hyuga's hands a blur as she struck.

Tifa could feel one of the many _materia _trying to heal her, but it proved useless as the healing affects would not travel to the rest of her body. By the time Hinata finished, Tifa was already on her knees, her breath coming in gasps and all of her energy leaving her body. Hinata stared down at her defeated opponent, her eyes nearly a glare as she lowered herself to be eye level. It was time to get some answers, "Why is it you're so intent to fight Naruto-kun?"

* * *

Diao Chan's _Shin Kakusei _(Fury Form) - .

Lu Bu's _Shin Kakusei_ - .

Dong Zhou's _Shin Kakusei_ - .

The Shin Kakusei forms are from the new game Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce. First things first, the appearance of Dong Zhou in this story was only meant to be short... and he's dead now, he isn't coming back. That, and I had wanted to have Diao Chan tell Lu Bu about her being pregnant during the invasion... adding Dong Zhou was better then having many enemy shinobi. Yes, Yoruichi is wearing what she wore when she was Captain of the Second Squad in Bleach, the only difference is that her hair is as long as when she first shows her human form to Ichigo. My first thought was to have her wear what she wears when she's training Ichigo, but then I remembered that nekomata was usually connected to death. So having Yoruichi wear her Shinigami outfit was better.

Benihime is free and she completely schooled Shukaku... no? Well, she is the most powerful of the nine tailed demons. I'll also give a cookie to who can name the shield which Benihime used here. Hinata defeated Tifa... who saw that one coming? Better yet, who saw that fight coming?*ducks behind a shield* Don't kill me! I know you all wanted to she Naruto fight Cloud, but that's next chapter I swear!

Before I finish up, I want to ask one thing. Diao Chan was worried that the unborn child would be affected by her transformation. Do you think there will be a side affect? Why or why not? And, if so, then what do you think it will be?

Well, that's all I have to say. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sparks flew as blades clashed high in the sky. Two fighters focused solely on their duel, the rest of the world blotted out. Neither noticed the invasion taking place below them… neither noticed their duel taking them to a deserted section of the village… so engrossed with their fight were they, then again, neither really cared. They both fought for revenge… though for vastly different reasons. The spiky blonde-haired swordsman fought for revenge because of sins long past, the long silver-haired swordsman fought for revenge because of the near death of a loved one. Each believed their reason supreme, each fought with all of their strength, and each fought… to kill the other.

Naruto snarled as Cloud punched him, the headdress he wore forced off his head allowing the bangs of long silver hair to frame his face. The two _fuuma shuriken_ had broken in two earlier in the battle, unable to stand against Cloud's full strength. Naruto attacked with deadly precision, only to be met with Cloud's seemingly impenetrable defense. Naruto's eyes narrowed in anger; perhaps he didn't spend as much time training with Sephiroth as he thought. Then again, he never expected that he would have to summon Benihime out of his body nor that the village would be invaded. It didn't matter; he was facing the one who hurt Hinata… that's all that he wanted. All of the anger he bottled up within himself returned to the surface, the blue flames erupting upon his left arm. He let loose the blast at Cloud, though the blonde swordsman easily dodged the attack, Naruto watched in small satisfaction as one of the buildings blew into bits.

Cloud pressed the attack, one of the blades which made _First Tsurugi_ held in his other hand. The long silver-haired Namikaze parried the twin blades, defending himself with no room to counter. Naruto smirked despite himself; it had been a long while since he had a true challenge, yet at the same time he was becoming agitated. He knew that he could fight far longer then anyone else; even so, could he risk a long drawn out battle? He knew if they continued to fight at their current power level… it would only end in a draw. So then, how could he end it quickly? _"Drawing upon Sephiroth's power is the same as drawing upon mine. It is within you and therefore a part of you. You simply must find it, and force it out."_ Benihime's words drifted into his mind, and he cursed himself for not training more with Sephiroth. He never did realize how much he relied upon Benihime and her power.

Naruto lost track of how long he had been fighting, but he was already missing her presence. He missed the warmth that she could bring him when her power flooded his body. He even began to miss the dark melody she sung which only he could hear. Even so, far deep within his mind he could hear another, darker melody. It was faint, barely audible, yet he could swear that he had heard it before… like a mother singing a lullaby to her child. He had no time to truly dwell on this… the matter at hand was drawing out Sephiroth's power. He recalled the few times he had drawn upon the SOLDIER's power in the past, yet every time had been out of instinct. He didn't know what he did… let alone how he had drawn upon it. There was little choice; he knew that he could die here if he didn't do something. No! He wouldn't lose here! He had sworn, upon Hinata's blood, that he would kill Cloud! And that's exactly what he would do!

Anger swelled within Naruto once more, it was the same anger he had felt dozens of times before. The same anger that swelled within him when Hinata was in danger. It coursed through his veins and fueled his strength, allowing him to counterattack. Cloud crashed through a building from the force of Naruto's sudden attack. The blonde swordsman was given no time to regain his bearing as Naruto was upon him, _Benitsune_ clashing against _First Tsurugi_. As their blades clashed against the other, they ripped through desks and chairs scattered about the room. Naruto stepped down on the blunt side of _First Tsurugi_, keeping the blade pinned to the floor. Cloud rolled away, narrowly missed having his head taken off by _Benitsune_. Naruto raised his blade to block, eyes widening as he was blown through several floors from the force behind the attack. His black feathered wing flared out, halting his ascent into the sky, mouth twisted into an enraged snarl as he gazed down into the building he was in but moments before.

He could feel Sephiroth's power deep within him, ready to be used and waiting to be unleashed. The question of how to unlock it flooded his mind, unable to answer as anger took hold. It didn't matter! He'd win this fight with or without Sephiroth's power! He could see Cloud standing upon the roof of the building, theirs eyes glaring into the other. For a long moment neither moved, simply staring at the other, bodies tensing and hands clenching their blades as they prepared to fight once more. Naruto allowed gravity to take hold, plummeting down as Cloud jumped up to meet him halfway. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, their defenses holding against the other's attacks. Naruto twisted over _First Tsurugi_, his foot making contact with Cloud's cheek and sending him rocketing to the ground. A crescent wave of green chakra soared towards Naruto, the silver-haired Namikaze easily blocking the attack. Cloud appeared in front of him, firing another wave of crescent shaped chakra at point blank range. _Benitsune_ flashed, barely catching the attack.

Naruto's hand shook as he struggled to block the attack; he barely managed to wrench it off to the side. The force behind the attack was still enough to force _Benitsune_ out of Naruto's hand, and for the first time in years, his eyes went wide with fear. Cloud wasted no time, separating First Tsurugi into six different blades. Five blades surrounded Naruto in a circle with the last one hovering above him… he knew this technique, and Naruto had a strong feeling that all of Cloud's strength was behind it this time. Time slowed, even as Cloud took hold of each blade and attacked, Naruto's mouth twisted into a snarl of pure rage. He would not… could not lose here! He made a promise… a promise upon Hinata's blood that he would kill Cloud! So then why was he losing! Naruto wanted to scream out in rage and pain with each hit Cloud landed, but his pride wouldn't let him. Time stopped, Cloud hovered over him ready to deliver the final blow, and the only thing that Naruto could think of was… _"Was this how it ended?"_ Was this how it ended with him unable to fulfill his promise? But he couldn't die here. Hinata would be devastated… Haku more so; Naruto was worried she might even kill herself.

And what of Benihime? She may have been summoned out of his body, but were they still connected in someway? If he died, would she die as well? And what of his adoptive parents? How would they react to him dying here? And of his biological parents… would they be ashamed of him? Time resumed, Cloud plummeted and Benihime's voice sounded out from somewhere below them, "ENOUGH! _Chigasumi no Tate_!" A shield of solidified red chakra in the shape of an octagon appeared before Naruto, blocking the brunt of Cloud's attack. The force of the attack was still powerful enough to crack part of Benihime's shield, connecting with Naruto and propelling the silver-haired Namikaze to the ground. Naruto expected to feel the ground shatter beneath him as he landed, yet no such feeling came. He was vaguely aware of being caught in Benihime's arms, and all at once the adrenaline left him, and exhaustion caught up. Before he went into blissful unconsciousness, the last thought he had, disbelief evident as it echoed in his mind, was _"I… lost? Im…impossible."_

Benihime held the unconscious Naruto close to her, the smallest fraction of her power leaving her and entering Naruto to heal his wounds. She had watched Naruto fight, proud of the fact that he was so powerful, yet at the same time concerned. She had seen him struggle, seen him give it his all. She knew she shouldn't have interfered with the fight… but she was not about to let the silver-haired Namikaze die. So she used her '_Chigasumi no Tate_' or 'Blood-Mist Shield', to protect Naruto. Unfortunately she had underestimated Cloud's attack and Naruto was severely injured. Her normally cruel stare softened, looking down at him, his wing covering his body like a blanket and his head resting against her chest. She was reminded of all the times she held him when he was younger; reminded of how peaceful he looked while he slept within her arms. There was no warrior then… there was only a child who seemed so vulnerable. And even now… he still was.

She should have reacted sooner! She could have prevented this from happening to him! So then why hadn't she?! It wasn't because she knew that this fight meant so much to him. It couldn't just be because she had trusted he was strong enough… so then WHAT WAS IT! She cared for her vessel, she knew that much. Could it be that she cared more then what she formerly thought? Would she have done so much for him if she hadn't? Would she have taken the role of a caring mother when no one else had? And when Diao Chan took the role of mother… would Benihime have still cared for the boy? Yet even so, her own emotions were hidden form her. She had accepted, a long time ago, that no one would stay with her when they discovered she was a demon. She had always felt that she would be alone, cursed in seeing so many couples pass by her and knowing she would never be with someone.

Then Naruto came along… granted she was sealed within the boy, but that didn't matter. Being sealed within Naruto changed something about her. She didn't truly know what it was that was changed… but she did know that she cared _deeply_ about Naruto. _Something_ within her swelled, and for the first time in centuries, emotions took hold of her heart. She licked her canine teeth even as they extended into fangs and poked out of her top lip. She stared at Cloud, watched the blonde-haired swordsman ready to attack the defenseless Naruto. She barely held back the growl of anger… _no one_ messed with her vassal. She could feel the anger bubbling up within her… no; she had to control her rage. Her anger had always been a weakness of hers. Though it rarely, if ever, did. Normally she would ignore whatever it was that caused this anger to well up within her, but this was different. She couldn't… no, wouldn't ignore this.

"Yoruichi," the neko demoness turned, "take care of Naruto." Benihime laid the Namikaze in Yoruichi's arms, bending down the kitsune queen placed a small kiss upon his forehead, watching his lips twitch as if to smile, "Rest now, my vassal. I shall take care of things from here on out." She walked over to where _Benitsune_ had fallen, wrenching it out of the ground, red lightning erupting across the blade as its mistress held it. "I do not know nor care why it is that you wish to kill Naruto… but I can not let that happen." As she twisted on her feet, a crimson wave of energy blasted out of the odachi in her hand. Cloud jumped into the air; however she was already above him, striking with _Benitsune_. Her muscles were slightly cramped; after all, it had been ages since she had fought in her human form.

The full kimono flowed around her as she twisted and pivoted. Some would wonder how she could fight in such constricting attire; the truth of the matter was that Benihime trained in the kimono for so long it was nothing more than a second skin. She could feel Cloud struggling against her attacks; feel his arms shake each time their blades clashed. This… _fight_, if it could even be called that, wouldn't last long, of that she was certain. Cloud exhausted all of his strength when he fought against Naruto and Benihime… while she had an unlimited supply of energy at her disposal. But this was starting to bore her. She had never been one to draw out a fight, always ending it as quickly as possible. "_Nake_," the word slipped from her crimson lips, red energy flowing out from the blade. The blast was significantly weaker than previously, holding barely enough power to wrench _First Tsurugi_ from Cloud's hand and rocket him into a building. She entertained, briefly, the idea of killing Cloud, yet the thought of why the blonde swordsman wanted to kill Naruto plagued her mind.

She reversed her grip and rammed the blade into the ground, the red lightning fading as her hand dropped to her side. Any questions Benihime had vanished as Tifa appeared kneeling in front of Cloud and gazed into his eyes. Benihime could sense Hinata with Yoruichi; no doubt the Hyuga heiress was worried about Naruto. "Cloud, I know we came here to kill Sephiroth, but please listen to me," she heard Tifa say. Benihime raised a delicate eyebrow, how did _they_ know about Sephiroth? "He isn't who we thought he was… or at least, not completely. Plus, I'm starting to think that this isn't what Aerith wanted us to do," Tifa continued, her voice as gentle as she could make it.

Cloud could never forget what happened after the first time they had killed Sephiroth. It was two years later, the new city of Edge was doing well, but there was a disease which plagued the children. At the time no one knew how or why it started, all anyone knew was that there was no cure for it and one could very well die from the infection. A close friend had been infected, so Cloud set out to see if he could find the cure. He failed miserably and only succeeded in getting himself infected with what would later become known as 'Geostigma'. Because of his failure, he distanced himself from his friends. Whether because he didn't want to risk infecting anyone else or because he was worried about what they would think of him, he didn't know. It wasn't until three silver-haired teenagers abducted all of the children infected with the Geostigma that Cloud came out of his self imposed isolation.

He went after these three silver-haired teenagers, whom he would later learn were called Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo, alone. He confronted them, but was unable to beat them. In fact, perhaps the only reason he wasn't killed was because one of his many friends had arrived and took him away. The truth was revealed to him after his failed attempt to rescue the kidnapped children. Apparently, Kadaj… Loz…. and Yazoo… were all fragments of Sephiroth's being, each one a different aspect of the ex-SOLDIER and just as deadly. But that had not been the most troubling thing he had learned. The truth behind Geostigma was that alien cells invaded the body, causing the body's natural defenses to overcompensate trying to eliminate it. The infected person was killed by their body's own natural defenses. These alien cells were from a being called JENOVA, and were scattered across the world when Sephiroth had been killed. It was also revealed that these three remnants were searching for something, and that something could bring forth the rebirth of Sephiroth.

He immediately set out to stop them; if Sephiroth was reborn then the entire world would once again be at risk. But more importantly, Cloud set out to find forgiveness from his friends for his failures of his past. He once more battled the three silver-haired teens, beating Loz and Yazoo, but Kadaj managed to find what they were looking for. Cloud and Kadaj fought in the ruined city of Midgar, until Kadaj was able to transform into Sephiroth. It was then that Sephiroth revealed his true intentions. When those infected with the Geostigma died and joined the Lifestream, it would corrode the planet and strangle it to death. Sephiroth wished to sail the darkness of space with the planet as his vessel… just as his 'mother' had done ages ago. Eventually a new planet would be formed, and a new future would be created. And so he fought Sephiroth a second time, once more protecting the entire planet. Cloud had nearly lost that fight… but the thought of losing all of his friends kept him fighting, enabled him to beat Sephiroth one more time. After the fight, the Lifestream rained down around them curing those who were infected by the Geostigma.

He thought it had ended there, he thought that Sephiroth would forevermore remain a memory buried deep within his mind. Yet Aerith sent him and Tifa to this world, where Sephiroth could be born once again. He saw Naruto fight time and time again like Sephiroth and _transform_ into Sephiroth before his very eyes several times over. How could he ignore this? How could he let his greatest enemy continue to live? How could he forget everything that Sephiroth had done? Each and every time he saw Naruto, memories of all the vile deeds Sephiroth committed flashed throughout his mind. If Aerith didn't send him here to kill the new Sephiroth… then what was it? What could it be that she wished him to do? "Cloud," Tifa's voice broke through his mussing, "Instead of killing Sephiroth, I… I think Aerith wanted to teach you a different lesson."

"Then what could that lesson be?" Cloud asked himself. He wasn't expecting an answer, at least not right away. Tifa remained quiet, unsure of what to say or if she should say anything. Eventually Tifa repeated what Hinata had told her; about no matter how Naruto looked like someone he would always be Namikaze Naruto. Tifa had a feeling that this wouldn't fully satisfy Cloud, and maybe he would never be satisfied until Sephiroth was gone forever. But she had to do something to help Cloud; she wouldn't stand by and watch him destroy himself like she had done in the past. Tifa could only pray that Cloud would listen to her. "I'll… try and find what it is that Aerith wanted to teach me." Tifa couldn't help the smile which formed across her face as she hugged Cloud tightly.

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It was a week after the failed invasion; the village was still recovering from the damages. Every villager, ninja or civilian, were gathered outside to honor all those that were lost in the invasion, including the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hizuren. It rained as the funeral started, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for all those lost. Lu Bu stood next to Diao Chan, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, his hand resting on her still growing stomach. Hinata stood next to Naruto, wishing she could reach out and embrace him. Naruto, himself, was in an emotional quandary. He could feel the sadness and grief which came with the lost of a loved one; after all, he had seen Sarutobi as a grandfather. Yet as much as he wished that tears would flow, if for nothing else then to know that he still had emotions, none came. Instead the rain dripped down his face, taking the place of the tears he could not shed.

Benihime stood behind them, not caring that the other villagers gave her a five foot radius. Their misplaced fear did not concern her. She placed her hands upon both Hinata and Naruto, drawing them close to her and hugging them best as she could. Benihime remembered what it was like to lose a loved one. She herself had lost her mother when she was just a two-tailed kit, extremely young by any demon's standards. She had never known her father, and because of this, there was no one to truly help her through that pain. True, many of the members of the kitsune clan gave their condolences, but there were none who helped ease the emotional pain. In hind sight, perhaps that was the beginning of her trouble with her emotions. Regardless, she wouldn't let these two young kits grieve without some form of emotional support. Granted, she wasn't completely sure of what to do… but she made do.

Standing next to Benihime were Yoruichi, Yugito, Cloud, Tifa, Shukaku, and Gaara. The foreign ninja received permission from their respected leader to remain in Konoha as guests of the Namikaze clan. After the invasion, Benihime's first instinct was to drag Shukaku to have a seal master look at the seal binding him to Gaara. At first she was going to bring him to Konoha's own seal master, Jiraiya of the Sannin. Yet looking closer at the one she wore around her neck and the one which was etched into the prayer beads gave her a different idea. Instead Benihime brought Shukaku over to Yoruichi and had the nekomata change the seal currently binding Shukaku to the correct Shinigami's seal. Given the neko demoness' close ties with the Shinigami; it was a relatively easy thing to do. The changing of the seals lessened Shukaku's insanity… if only a little and Benihime doubted even that.

Everyone placed a white rose before a large red stone in the shape of a flame, Konoha's symbol etched in the middle. Each villager said a silent prayer for those of the departed, and shed a few final tears. The monument stood in memory of Sarutobi, as well as the others who held the title of Hokage and all shinobi who died protecting the village. When Naruto placed his own rose, he took several minutes to just stand there, with memories of all the times Sarutobi had spent time with him in his youth flooding his mind… flashes of Sarutobi's grandfatherly smile… the reassurances that it was never Naruto's fault that the villagers had beaten him when he was but five years old. One by one, everyone else went until Yoruichi ended the line. But instead of a white rose, a dark purple flame, almost as black as midnight, was held in her hand. The neko demoness placed the small ball of fire atop the monument, "Rest peacefully, and may Shinigami-sama guide your souls to a peaceful afterlife."

The rain poured harder down from the heavens, collecting atop the stone faces of the Hokage Mountain. The water ran down the smallest of cracks, traveling down both Sarutobi and Minato's stone faces, until it ended at the corner of their eye. Here the water spilled forth, and had any one of the villagers looked up at the mountain, they would have seen two of their greatest leaders crying. But for what reason… that was anybody's guess.

* * *

_"Chigasumi no Tate"_ or "Blood-mist Shield" is the same shield that Urahara uses in Bleach. I'm surprised that no one made the connection that the Kyuubi's named after his zanpakuto and uses the same powers... so no cookies for anyone.

So there it is, the fight that everyone's been waiting for! (ducks under various thrown objects) I know! I know! You wanted Naruto to win but please listen to the reason that I have for Cloud winning! The first, is that Naruto was training with Benihime for the majority of the month before the finals and not with Sephiroth. The second is that, yes, if Benihime had not been summoned outside of his body Naruto would have won. The third and most important one is that Cloud fought (and won) against Sephiroth twice and naturally would have the advantage because of it. So there, if you want to kill me then kill me but remember the story will never be done if I am killed.

The next chapter should start the Tsunade search arc. I know who I'm sending... and it's not who you think it is or who it usually is. I'll leave that for you to guess. Well, that's all I had to say... though what did you think about how ended the chapter.

Well, see you next chapter and please review!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Hinata hovered high in the sky, basking in the cool air of the high altitudes. The sun had barely risen above the horizon, and she could feel a small amount of frost creeping onto her skin. She enjoyed this time of day, and not just because of the peacefulness of it all. No, like Haku, she found that she enjoyed the cooler temperatures… her favorite was zero degrees. Perhaps this was a side affect of her bond with Yukihime, but it didn't matter to her. It was two days after the funeral… and she was away on a mission. The fact that she was on a mission didn't bother her, she was, after all, a kunoichi of Konoha. It was more the fact of whom she was with. If Naruto had been with her then she wouldn't have minded, but he wasn't here. Instead she got paired up with Jiraiya of the _Densetsu no Sannin_.

Any other ninja would have been honored that they were on the same mission as one of the "_Densetsu no Sannin_", or "Legendary Three Ninja"… that is, any _male _ninja would have been honored. Any kunoichi who knew of Jiraiya's _habits _would be anything but honored. Because Jiraiya was the author of the adult novel series _"Icha Icha" _as well as a 'self-proclaimed super pervert' who spied on women at the hot springs for inspiration. It took all Hinata's self control not to freeze Jiraiya from the waist down. What she didn't understand, however, was why Naruto turned down the chance to travel and train under his own godfather. Naruto had found out about Jiraiya when the Namikaze ran into the Sannin at the hot springs. Or maybe Naruto had only noticed Jiraiya because _she _had covered Jiraiya's peeping hole with ice? Either way, Naruto hadn't been interested in learning under the Sannin at first, but when Jiraiya told Naruto that he was his godfather… well, Jiraiya was in for a surprise when Naruto unleashed Benihime-sama's power. Jiraiya was stuck in the hospital for a week after that.

She had been training with Naruto when Jiraiya had asked about Naruto using the Kyuubi's chakra, warned against relying too much on it. Naruto hadn't listened; she could tell that he didn't care. Naruto undoubtedly believed that Jiraiya thought Benihime was only an evil and destructive fox. But in the days following Benihime-sama's summoning into a real body, Hinata could understand why Naruto thought so differently of the kitsune queen. Benihime-sama was anything but an evil demon that only caused destruction. Admittedly, she had been wary of Benihime-sama at first, but the more time she spent with the kitsune queen, the more she came to understand the kitsune's personality. Besides, if Naruto could trust her enough to summon the kitsune into a real body, Hinata, at least, should give the benefit of the doubt. But the question of how much Naruto cared about the demoness, haunted her. Was it selfish of her that… no, she shouldn't think like that and she shouldn't be thinking about it during a mission.

And speaking of Naruto was there some other reason why he turned down this mission? Was there something that he felt he had to do back in the village? Why didn't he tell her or did he even know what it was himself? Didn't he trust her enough to tell her if there was something on his mind? But then, ever since he lost to Cloud, Naruto had been distant, much more than before. She knew that she should be by his side… help support him through whatever emotional turmoil he was in. Yet how could she turn down a mission granted by the council? Of course, Naruto had turned it down when Jiraiya had asked, but then Naruto had never been one to follow orders. He did what his heart told him… even if he wasn't always sure what it told him. Although Naruto struggled with his emotions, he did have them. They were simply buried deep. And that was one of many reasons she fell in love with him.

She sighed, watching the sun fully reveal itself over the horizon. She supposed it was time to return to camp. They were heading to a town called Otafuku Gai, searching for clues to locate who they were looking for. Of course, Hinata had her doubts if Jiraiya was going to find any hints there. She leaned back, tucked her wing as close to her body as she could, allowing gravity to take hold of her, plummeted head first, her hair whipping from side to side as the wind caught it. Any normal person would have never done such a crazy thing… then again; no normal person would be so high in the air.

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Lu Bu was more than slightly annoyed as he walked through the streets of Konoha. One of the council members had called an emergency meeting; why, he wasn't sure. It was probably a paranoid civilian member, but that's not what he was worried about. No, it was the fact that he hadn't been notified. This led him to believe that the meeting was about something they didn't want him to know about. His gut told him that the meeting was about Naruto and Benihime… arrogant old fools who can't see the truth should not be in power. But he would deal with that when the time came; he had more important matters to think of, like Diao Chan's pregnancy.

He was so overjoyed when she told him that if he hadn't been so wounded during the invasion he would have picked her up and spun around. The thought of him raising a child from birth was enough to swell his chest with… pride, happiness, he wasn't really sure. Of course, like any father-to-be, he was worried. 'Would I make a good father?' and 'am I ready for this?' danced around in his head. Yet those were farther back; closer to the front were the thoughts of how Naruto would feel about all of this. He worried that Naruto might feel that he was being neglected. Even so, he trusted his adoptive son to be an outstanding older brother. He trusted his son to act like any older brother should, but that wouldn't be until later. Perhaps a talk with the boy was in order… well, he should talk to Naruto regardless. After the invasion, Naruto has been doing little else except train with Benihime. Normally Lu Bu would praise such actions, but this… this was different. Even Lu Bu didn't train all day every day. But Naruto was doing just that and he feared the boy was distancing himself from the ones who cared for him. And not just himself and Diao Chan… Haku, Hinata, strangely Yugito as well, asked about Naruto and expressed their concern. He couldn't truly reassure them, after all, only Naruto knew what he was feeling. But he did tell them what he thought was going through his adoptive son's mind.

Unfortunately these thoughts would have to be put on hold, he was standing outside of the council chambers and already he could hear the arguing fools within. "Something must be done! If Tsunade can not be convinced to come back and claim the mantle of Hokage, then who will?!" Was that what this meeting was about? No, that was only a minor problem of paranoid civilians… there was something else, Lu Bu could tell. "ENOUGH!" Lu Bu could recognize the voice of the village elder, Koharu, "If Tsunade is unwilling to become Hokage then I nominate Danzou." This meeting wasn't even called for that, though he wasn't surprised that the old war hawk was using the absence of a leader to his advantage. No, there was something else… within his gut Lu Bu knew all too well what it was.

"What about that… _demon_?" Another councilman spoke up, though whether he was referring to Benihime or Naruto… Lu Bu didn't know. But than again it really didn't matter. Lu Bu knew the pointless fears that many villagers harbored, knew that the villagers would always think Naruto was the same demon who attacked their village all those years ago. Unfortunately the sight of Benihime standing beside Naruto did little to erase that fear. If they wanted to remain in ignorant bliss that was fine by him, he never cared what others thought. "He's getting too powerful for his own good!" So it WAS about Naruto! Lu Bu's fists tightened, he'd soon enlighten then about the consequences if they tried ANYTHING against his son! "Something must be done!"

That's it! He's had enough of ignorant villagers allowing their fear to rule their minds! He didn't need to hear anything more! He reared his fist back, his anger taking hold as he punched, his _Shin Kakusei_ activating mere seconds before his fist connected with the door. The weak wooden door stood no chance against his strength, and shattered apart.

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Benihime frowned, tightening her hold upon Benitsune, thinking to herself _"This won't do. Not at all." _Naruto kneeled there, an ordinary odachi with a rather plan square golden hand guard held in his hand, which the Namikaze called _Masamune_… of course; she thought that Sephiroth had more to do with that. She was training Naruto, preparing him for future fights and it wasn't going as she had expected. It wasn't that Naruto couldn't learn fast enough; his emotions were holding him back. She also, like Hinata and the other girls, wanted Naruto to express his emotions. But, she knew that during battle emotions did nothing but cloud one's mind causing mistakes and even one mistake could result in death. _That _was the lesson that she wanted to teach Naruto; to control his emotions during battle.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason she was training Naruto. She needed to teach Naruto to draw upon Sephiroth's power. It had been both foolish and selfish of her not to have Naruto train more with Sephiroth. Foolish, because she knew that, had her summoning idea worked, then her power would no longer be within Naruto's body and he wouldn't be able to draw upon it. Selfish of her because… well, it was just selfish, what more could she say? And it wasn't just because she had 'used' him to gain her own body. It was that training with her meant that he would spend more time with her instead of with anyone else. But what puzzled her more was why she had fought Cloud after Naruto had lost. She knew it was not simply because she wanted to keep Naruto from dying. There was a deeper meaning behind her actions. The answer lay with what she had said to Naruto as he lay unconscious. She had called him, her vassal; it might not mean much to anyone else but… to a demon as powerful as she… it meant so much.

The world of demons was a warlike and barbaric land, every kind of demon living among their own kind, never mingling with other demons. It was commonplace for one clan of demons to attack another, sometimes for more land, sometimes for power. Her mother, the previous "Kyuubi no Kitsune", constantly protected the clan. Yet, despite her immense power, she had been outnumbered and killed by the Hebi, snake demons who cared for nothing but personal power. Through her grief and anger, she swore to take her mother's place as head of the Kitsune Clan and utterly wipe out the demons who took her mother. She crafted _Benitsune _from one of the massive fangs of her mother's kitsune form, and she trained and trained and trained to harness her demonic powers through the odachi. But she was digressing… wasn't she?

Since demons cared only for their own kind, taking on a "vassal" from a different clan was frowned upon. If a member of the clan did take a vassal from a different demonic clan… they were considered weak, softhearted, a disgrace and a traitor. The vassal's life was hell, even by demon standards… beaten, ignored, sometimes even killed. Of course, that was just demonic vassals, no self righteous demon would ever consider taking on a human vassal. And why would they? Demons were considered to be above humans, if a human had somehow gotten into the demonic world… they were killed outright. Even though she had grown around that life style… she couldn't help but detest it. What disgusted her more was the fact that vassals of the same demonic clan were treated like any other member. She remembered various older kitsune adopting and looking after younger orphaned or abandoned kitsune. She constantly wondered what the difference was between a kitsune vassal and a vassal from a different clan. At the time she never came up with an answer, yet looking back, she could see the many similarities between that and Naruto's life.

Ironic, that humans would show her the answer she had sought after all this time. It was fear, misplaced and irrational but fear none the less. Demonic vassals were feared because they were from a different clan and Naruto was feared because he was chosen to contain her soul and power. So was that the reason why she wanted to help him? Was that the reason why she wanted to protect him? Did she only want to keep Naruto from having that kind of life? No, it wasn't and she knew it. Then, could it be more out of respect for Kushina? Could it be because of the promise she made to the boy's mother? Maybe… maybe not but deep within her heart she knew it was not so. She sighed to herself, watching Naruto walk off, knowing already where he was heading. She knew she should stop him… knew he was not yet strong enough to free his mother… knew he could die as he was now but, she couldn't bring herself to stop him. The part of her that knew what it was like to grow without a mother stopped all of her actions, and even though Diao Chan kept that hell from Naruto… Benihime knew that sometimes an adoptive mother can't always replace the one who gave birth.

But that wasn't what stopped her from holding him back. Naruto needed to know about his mother, needed to know what really happened to her. She knew it meant too much to him, knew it meant more than perhaps anything else, and she couldn't keep that from him. She feared what he would think of her when he learned that she had kept this from him. Then again, she had only learned that Kushina was still alive only a month before but still… would he be angry at the fact that she didn't tell him immediately? But what choice did she have at the time?! He was not strong enough to face the army that awaited him where his mother was being kept… and even now she didn't think he was ready. All she could really do now was hope that everything turned out alright, however… she was not without backup plans. She summoned a small one-tailed fox kit, told it to deliver a message to Yoruichi and Yugito, and watched as it rushed into the woods. With that done there was nothing more that she could do, except follow him and help him when he needed it.

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Sasuke flew through the air as fast as he could. He had gone to Kakashi's apartment to demand more training, but the voices inside stopped. He listened in on their conversation, not really caring if they noticed him or not. What he overheard was… troubling… wonderful… he wasn't sure which. Apparently the reason why Kakashi-sensei had been injured was because _He _showed up in the village. Sasuke also heard that _He _was after Naruto for some reason. Sasuke didn't care what happened to Naruto, but this was his chance to kill _Him_. This was his chance to avenge the deaths of the rest of the Uchiha Clan! But _He _left in search of Naruto, so Sasuke sped off after him.

He still remembered, after all these years, the various emotions which plagued his mind when he was but eight. Sasuke always wanted to be like his _brother_. No, he wanted to surpass his _brother _and forge his own reputation. He wanted people to say, "There goes Uchiha Sasuke" not "There goes Uchiha Itachi's little brother". His _brother_'s shadow constantly loomed over him, _his _reputation a wall which he could not scale. More than that, he wanted his father to look at him with the same pride he looked at Itachi. Even after he started at the Ninja Academy and was always at the top of the class, he hated to admit it but sometimes he was tied with Naruto. It wasn't until he mastered the _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_, the easiest of the fire jutsu that the Uchiha clan was famous for, that his father showed the first signs of pride.

Then _that_ night happened, the night that his _brother_, if he could still be called that, slaughtered the clan. And for what?! To test his power?! And the things that he said… his _brother _was right about one thing, he was weak then. He had been weak and unable to protect himself or his mother, though why they were spared, Sasuke didn't know and he didn't care. He swore he would never be weak again and that was the reason why he unsealed _Genesis_. It was also the day that he swore to kill his brother, both to avenge the clan and to prove that he was above Itachi! He didn't care about the means, he would gain power and no one would stop him! With Itachi so close, Sasuke could not and would not pass up the chance to exact his revenge! Anyone in his way will burn in the flames of _Genesis_!

The problem was finding Naruto. He hadn't seen the Namikaze in the village ever since the funeral had ended two days ago. He had heard rumors that Jiraiya of the _Densetsu no Sannin _had taken Naruto with him on a mission. The fact that the great Jiraiya choose such an inferior shinobi over a great Uchiha like him angered the boy. If the rumors were true there was only one town close enough to travel to in two days… at least, that's where he hoped they went. The town was called Otafuku Gai, but it was known more for its red light district. As such, there were dozens of hotels that they could be staying at and he didn't have time to search them all. Yet something pulled him in one direction… he knew that chakra signature. He pulled his wing close to his body, crashing through the second floor window of a hotel before flipping and landing on his feet.

He lifted his eyes, and there _he _was, Uchiha Itachi, garbed in a black cloak adorned with red clouds. Next to him stood another in the same cloak, this man's skin and hair blue like the ocean with three gills like a shark's on each cheek and some kind of large sword wrapped in cloth strapped across his back. But Sasuke didn't care about him, nor did he care that Hinata, not Naruto, stood before the duo. He drew _Genesis_; the red hot flames igniting even as the blade left the sheath with lightning erupting along the blade as well. The sound of a thousand chirping birds echoed in the small hallway as Sasuke channeled the technique known as _Chidori _into the red blade as well. "I've hated you," Sasuke's voice was quiet, as if speaking to himself, yet everyone could hear it, "I cursed your name… my anger and hated fueled me as I grew strong… and now… I'LL KILL YOU!" Sasuke charged forward, dragging the red blade along the wall next to him and when he was within striking distance… he lashed out.

An explosion rocked the hotel, dust and smoke blocking everything from view. When the dust settled, there was Sasuke, confusion clear on his face. Itachi had blocked _Genesis _with his own katana, which had green cloth wrapped around the hilt and a hexagon shaped hand guard. Itachi held the katana with the blade pointed down at the floor, not even struggling to hold back _Genesis _as Sasuke pushed with all his might. "Foolish little brother," Itachi spoke, "Let me show you why I made ANBU captain at the age of thirteen."_Kudakero_…" Anything else that Itachi said was drowned out by the sound of shattering glass. Seconds later, Sasuke's screams of pain echoed throughout the hallway from something only he could see. When Sasuke's screams died down, he fell to his knees, unconscious.

Itachi returned his katana to the sheath beneath his cloak, turned and walked away motioning to his partner even as he said, "Kisame, we're leaving, our prey is not here." He stopped suddenly, looking back at Hinata, "Hinata, if you find that you want anymore training, seek me out." With that he and Kisame disappeared as Jiraiya arrived on the scene. Hinata, lost in her own thoughts, didn't bother to help Jiraiya in making sure that Sasuke was alright. Itachi had been looking for Naruto, for what purpose she didn't know but she really didn't care. They were after him and she would protect Naruto-kun as she had done in the past. So then why had Itachi offered to train her? Just what was Itachi playing at? Well, she would think about that later, there were other things she needed to focus on.

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Another chapter done! I know it doesn't seem like much happened but it was really setting it all up for the next chapter or two. Now about the katana that Itachi is using... I could tell you what _Kudakero _means, but I'm not going. If you can tell what the katana is by the description or you already know what Kudakero means then you already know the sword. For those you don't know, then you're just going to have to wait.

Now, I do have some questions for all of you. One is what did you think of Benihime's background? The next is what do you think Lu Bu is going to do? The last is what did you think how I portrayed Sasuke?

Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review before you leave and see you next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

He stood before her prison, watching her float within the tank of liquid chakra, her emerald eyes staring at him with caring and warmth and love. She was alive and he found her! She had been so close all this time and he didn't even know it! He had followed the faint calling in his mind. He hadn't given it much thought before but then he had become curious. He had followed the voice down into the tunnels below the village, and there he found his mother trapped within her prison. It all made sense now… those 'visions' he had, that had nothing to do with Sephiroth, was his mother calling out to her son. Placing his hands upon the glass, he could almost feel the warmth which radiated from her. Long forgotten memories returned… of nights before he had been adopted, of wondering if his parents hated him like the rest of the village, nights when he would often cry himself to sleep because he thought he had been abandoned by his parents. With tears streaming down his face against his will, he hugged the glass prison as best he could.

He looked up, saw the reflection of a ROOT ANBU too late, eyes going wide as a blade stabbed through his gut. _"NO!"_ he heard what could only be the voice of his mother scream within his mind. The ANBU's head was cleaved off his shoulders as Benihime raked her claws through his neck. Benihime caught Naruto as he collapsed, removing the blade as her hand glowed red, prepared to heal the wound. However, Naruto pushed her away, getting to his feet and yanking _Masamune_ out of the floor. He held the blade tightly in his left hand as his right clutched the wound, "Heal… my mother," his voice was strained, that much was clear, "I'll take care of ROOT." Benihime was about to protest when she saw the look in his eye… those green cat-like eyes glaring into her own, daring her to go against his wishes. Never in her long life had Benihime been so intimidated.

She rose to her feet, placing her hand upon the glass prison, her power seeping out of her and into the liquid chakra turning it red. The various tubes connected to Kushina's body slowly retracted… it was taking far too long and if Benihime stopped now… Kushina could die. Yet she could see Naruto struggling to fight and she knew he could die as well if something wasn't done. But what more could she do? Benihime needed to focus solely on healing Kushina, more because of the fact that Benihime's power could be poisonous if not used correctly. She couldn't divide her attention… not without risking the life of Kushina. Benihime knew that the death of his mother would harm Naruto more than anything else. She didn't want to see that, and she didn't want him angry at her for failing to help Kushina. If only Yugito or Yoruichi were here… then she wouldn't have to worry but as it was, she didn't even know if the fox kit found them. So then who else… could… that's it! Benihime turned fully to face Kushina, "DO SOMETHING! Or do you want your son to die!"

Kushina considered telling Benihime to just go save her son but she knew that there were things that a person needed to do alone. Call it selfish pride, but Naruto was fighting not only to free her… but for the family's lost honor. And there were the times when he needed to rely on his own power, his own strength. He needed to learn not to rely solely on Benihime's power. He needed to learn that there were times when he would be alone and no one would be able to save him. It was cruel of her… going against all of her motherly instincts but… Kushina wasn't just going to watch as her son struggled. Even so, she feared for his life like all mothers… but there wasn't much she could do while trapped.

Kushina's visible eye shined, her voice echoing into Naruto's head, _"All that's reflected in your sword is pointless fear."_ Her voice was like singing a lullaby to him, yet he found himself angry at the lyrics. Fear?! In his blade?! He had nothing to fear! What did he fear against these weaklings?! _"You're completely afraid of the enemy hurting you." _No… no… no he wasn't! He was here to free his mother! And if he had to fight against a thousand enemies then he would! If he had to give his life to free his mother then he would! He didn't fear what may happen to him just so long as… _"Even time is swallowed up by your hesitation." _Images of Hinata, Haku, Yugito, Yoruichi, Benihime, Lu Bu and Diao Chan flooded his brain… his mother was right, he was afraid. But what he feared was not the enemy… he feared failing those he considered close to his buried heart. He failed to protect Hinata in the preliminary rounds during the second test of the chuunin exams… he even failed to defeat Cloud during the invasion. If he couldn't win against Cloud… then what would happen if Hinata was in danger and he was killed trying to protect her?

"_Even if you swing such a sword around… you can't save anyone!"_ It was a harsh truth… but she was right. Even if he trained, constantly, everyday, didn't bother with anything else… what good would that do if deep down he feared failing? _"What you need in battle is not fear!"_ He had let fear grip his heart… allowed it to control his actions unknowingly. But what was he truly afraid of? It wasn't just failing… no; it was someone else getting hurt _because_ he failed to protect them. And he feared what could happen should his anger take hold of his heart, of what his anger may cause because it clouded his mind. _"What will fear bring about?"_ Nothing but death he knew that. Fear caused doubt… your doubt transfers to your fighting and hinders your movements… and even one small mistake… could end your life. Naruto knew this, so then why did fear grip his heart?

"_Nothing!"_ So then what should he do? Knowing all of this didn't help if he died here. But knowing was half the battle, and as fear let go of his heart… as fear left his mind… he could feel his limbs moving faster… responding to his commands quicker. _"What you need in battle is…"_ He had feared many things. He feared that his biological parents didn't love him. Deeper down… what he feared most of all… was losing those who became his family and all those who had become his 'precious people'. That was what he feared above all else. The fear of being left alone, whether because of ignorant fears like the villagers… or because he himself turned into something he shouldn't have. Was that what was holding him back? "Naruto, listen to me," Sephiroth's voice took the place of his mother's, "Show no hesitation, show no fear, show no mercy, only then will you truly be able to protect… your MOTHER!" Sephiroth's power flowed into Naruto, giving him strength and power, and feeling as if the Fist Class SOLDIER was guiding all of his movements. _Masamune_ lashed out, a massive wave of green chakra shooting out of the blade.

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Danzou always was overly cautious. He believed that the safety of the village outweighed all else. And he believed that anyone who was a threat to the village's safety were traitors that needed to be eliminated. And above all else, he believed in a strong military leadership. This was why he believed himself the only one fit to be Hokage. After all, hadn't he and his ROOT ANBU protected the village from the shadows? Hadn't his ROOT done more then anyone else? True, no one could know about what he did, but that didn't change anything. Of course, ROOT hadn't always been a behind the scenes division of the standard ANBU. But Sarutobi feared both Danzou's growing power and the loyalty of all ROOT members to Danzou alone. The old fool had ROOT formally disbanded… but Danzou wasn't about to let his division disappear. So he moved his division into the underground tunnels beneath the village and controlled things from the shadows.

From there he did a great many things. He was the one who convinced Sarutobi to destroy the Uchiha clan after they learned about the coup. Did he feel any form of remorse for the destruction of the clan? No, after all… the Uchiha clan was becoming a threat to the village, and threats were eliminated. It was he who wanted to spoil the last loyal Uchiha boy, more so that the boy remained loyal to the village then anything else. Out of all of his plans, there was one plan that failed… the one to control the Kyuubi container. He thought that by taking the boy's mother away, he would be easier to control. It was a plus that he'd be able to figure out a way to use the Uzumaki's _Kekkei Genkai_ to improve his ROOT soldiers. But Sarutobi was a sentimental fool who didn't see the potential that the boy held to becoming the greatest ninja. For three years, Danzou failed to get the boy into his ROOT program, and then the boy was adopted and he became untouchable. And now the boy released the demon that he held within him, putting the entire village at risk. The boy even dared to arrange for foreign ninja to stay in the village under the Namikaze clan's protection! What made the Namikaze boy so certain that these ninja wouldn't sell out any of Konoha's secrets?!

And like everything else, anything that was a threat to the village's safety needed to be eliminated. But how to do it and make sure it couldn't be traced back to him was the unanswerable question. Then, he had one of the pawns on the council call a meeting, with just enough members to pass a majority vote and many who agreed with him and his views. This way, _they_ would be blamed for the boy's death and he was merely answering the call of a Council meeting. But things don't always turn out the way people like, as the doors to the chamber shattered apart. Lu Bu stood there, his appearance and the red glow around him giving him a truly demonic feeling. A small gesture of Danzou's hand and two ROOT ANBU charged out of the shadows, their ninjato drawn. Lu Bu sent one ANBU into the wall with but a single punch, grabbed the second around the head and slammed it against the floor. The pressure of the attack not only dented the floor slightly, it also destroyed the ANBU's head sending blood and brain matter all over. Lu Bu returned to his full height, obviously not caring about the blood which dripped off his hand.

Several of the council members were yelling and demanding to know why he was there, but Danzou wasn't listening, instead he was trying to figure a way out of this disaster. "I warned all of you," Lu Bu's voice sounded calm, but Danzou could hear the anger behind it, "What would happen if you tried ANYTHING against my adoptive son!" Those few from the shinobi council who were just about to agree with Danzou, quickly left, already knowing what would happen. Of course, Danzou was no fool; he knew when things were completely out of his control. He'd just have to think of something else. Luckily his shinobi speed hadn't rusted in the long years he had been away from the frontlines, and he retreated to his underground base.

The scene that greeted him upon his arrival to the large underground cavern was not what he expected. All of his ROOT agents were dead, slaughtered… he didn't know who was powerful enough to face the overwhelming skill and numbers of his agents. That's when he saw him, the Namikaze boy standing on the other end of the bridge. Danzou frowned, this wasn't how he wanted to eliminate the boy but it would do. The Namikaze's back was turned; even so Danzou could clearly see that the boy was breathing hard and was barely standing on his own two feet. He silently removed the blade he kept hidden in his cane, stabbing it into the ground. His good arm uncovered his bandaged eye, revealing a fully matured Sharingan, a… souvenir from an investigation. Danzou felt the blood leak out of his eye as the Sharingan morphed, black flames shooting out. That's when he felt it, two different chakra spikes, neither of which came from the boy. "_Soten ni zase,_ _Hyorinmaru_!" The black flames of Amaterasu were swallowed whole by a dragon made of ice; he didn't have time to ponder why the hottest flames were frozen in a block of ice. "_Jinteki Shakusetsu_, _Suzumebachi_!" There was a stabbing pain in his back; he saw the back of the blonde haired Kumo kunoichi a split second before he screamed as his body turned to dust.

"Naruto-sama!" Haku screamed, catching the silver haired Namikaze as he fell back. She lowered him to the floor, her hand glowing green to heal the wound in his stomach. There were various other wounds but they were too shallow to be of danger. He pushed her away, standing to his feet and walked away. That's when Haku noticed the katana clutched in his hands, _Masamune_ still in his left hand, but it was the blade in his right which held her attention. It was a simple katana, pink cloth wrapped around the hilt and a golden square hand guard. She was by his side instantly, catching him as he stumbled. "Naruto-sama, you're wounded and lost a lot of blood, please, let me heal you." She was ignored again as Naruto stumbled through one of the doors, Haku close on his heels. Yugito followed soon after, with both Cloud and Tifa flanking her. The sight inside caused the blood to drain from the faces of both Cloud and Tifa.

Naruto stabbed _Masamune_ at the base of the stairs before walking up to his mother's prison, stabbed the katana in his hand in front of his mother's prison, and placed his hand upon the cold glass. Kushina, all tubes disconnected from her body and her limbs unbound, placed her own hand where Naruto's rested on the glass. She wanted to shatter the glass, wanted to hold her son in her arms, wanted to whisper into his ear. But she knew that she was too weak, knew that if she escaped her prison now she could die. She would have to wait a little longer, yet with the tubes gone her strength wouldn't be drained from her… all she'd have to do is wait a month or two, three at the most. She reached out with her mind, her voice soft as she sang a lullaby to her son. She knew the day had taken its toll on her boy; a smile graced her lips as Naruto slid down to the floor. His eyes were closed as he fell asleep, and she found herself falling asleep yet unlike the times before… this time her dreams where filled with thoughts of spending her time with her son.

A small part of Benihime didn't want to move Naruto but… he was wounded and needed to be healed. She picked him up in her arms, turning to see Yoruichi standing before her. Benihime placed Naruto in Yoruichi's arms, "Bring him right back to the Namikaze estates, no one is to know what has happened here except, of course, Diao Chan and Lu Bu. And take Haku with you just in case you need help in healing him." With that the kitsune queen walked out the door, pushing aside Cloud and Tifa who had yet to move and calling over her shoulder, "Come, Yugito, we're taking a look around this base."

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"_Tsugi no mai, Hakuren_!" The blast of ice shot forth from the pure white blade enveloping the field. Hinata breathed in deeply, the attack was still too wide; it needed to be narrower. The blast needed to be condensed so that it merely hit the target. Maybe that was what she needed… a target. Well, she could practice it on a tree, though eventually she'd run out of trees to use in the clearing. Or, she could use a clone to practice, and not one of those illusion clones they taught in the academy. When Itachi was still teaching Naruto and herself, he said that the worst person you could face was yourself. He said that since the clone also knew everything that you did, it was extremely hard to beat since it was like fighting your reflection. To this end, he taught them '_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_' or, 'Shadow Clone Technique', which summoned a solid clone of the user. This technique had a variety of uses, but the less known was that whenever a clone was destroyed, whatever it had learned transferred back to the user. Training with one clone doubled the time… training with two tripled the time… and so on and so forth.

Hinata had stopped using this method a few years ago; perhaps it was time to take it up once more. Besides, she needed to get stronger for more then one reason. The first and most important was to show Naruto that she didn't always needed to be protected. He had always been protective, and she wanted to show him she could take care of herself. That plan had been set back by her defeat against Cloud; even so she could show him just how powerful she was. The second reason was that they found who they were searching for… but they had an unwelcome guest as well. Senju Tsunade, the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage and another member of the _Densetsu no Sannin_, was the person they searched for to become the next Hokage of Konohagakure. What surprised her more was the fact that Tsunade was Naruto's godmother! She could understand that Jiraiya couldn't always be there since he had a spy network to keep track of and information to gather. But that didn't excuse the fact that he couldn't have returned every once in awhile! And Tsunade! How dare she call herself Naruto's godmother!

Tsunade left the day after Naruto was born! Leaving the village just after Benihime had attacked and for what! What could have possibly happened to Tsunade to cause her to leave the village? All things considered, Hinata found it hard not to yell at both Sannin for their neglect of her Naruto-kun. Even now she found it hard to restrain her anger at the two. However she wasn't training to release her pent up frustrations. Apparently Orochimaru, the final member of the _Densetsu no Sannin_, leader of Otogakure no Sato and mastermind behind the invasion, also found Tsunade… and offered to bring her dead loved ones back to life in exchange for healing his wounded arms. Whether Tsunade would help or not, Hinata didn't know, but what she did know was that there was a battle coming and she had to be ready to fight. On that thought she summoned an ice clone of herself, and began to spar. Their blades clashed, their movements graceful and precise, not even when their blades became whips did the elegance of their moves never leave.

Hinata stopped her sparing, sensing Tsunade's dark haired assistant, Shizune, enter the clearing. The ice clone shattered, Hinata returned _Yukihime_ to its sheath and went over to sit next to Shizune. "I thought you should know about Tsunade-sama," the older woman began, "You see, Tsunade-sama lost her younger brother, Nawaki, during a raid on the village and years later she lost the man she loved, Dan, in battle as well. To her, it was like she wasn't strong enough to save her little brother and the man she loved. Plus, because she gave them the necklace she wears, her grandfather's necklace… she believes it to be cursed as both Nawaki and Dan died days after she gave them the necklace. It doesn't fully excuse her actions I know, but I thought you should know."

Hinata sat quietly, going over everything that she had just been told. Coming to her feet Hinata said, "You're right, it doesn't excuse the fact that she never once returned to check on Naruto. Further more," Hinata would have continued to rant had Jiraiya not appeared in the clearing.

"We have a problem, Tsunade left on her own to go to Orochimaru." Jiraiya didn't need to say any more, Hinata was already in the air, her Byakugan active and searching the surrounding area. An explosion off in the distance caught her attention, focused in on the area and found Tsunade fighting both Orochimaru and another Oto-nin… Kabuto from the Chuunin Exams if she remembered correctly, the only difference was the Oto forehead protector her wore. She took off, _Yukihime _already in hand, the pure white blade extending out and deflecting various thrown kunai. Hinata landed in front of Tsunade, Kabuto standing a few feet in front of her. Hinata wasted no time; the faint sound of a bell gave all the indication she attacked, the circle of ice rising into the sky and entrapping the silver-haired Oto-nin. The pillar of ice blew apart as exploding tags went off, Hinata's diamond hard wing shielding her from the flying shards of ice.

Yukihime whipped out, sparks flying as the white blade clashed with kunai. Hinata ducked, sidestepped, and spun around as Kabuto attacked, the Oto-nin's hands glowing green. Hinata knew enough medical ninjutsu to recognize the chakra scalpels, and she knew the internal damage they could cause, not just on organs but on the chakra circulatory system as well. Yukihime continued to lash out, Kabuto proving to be just as flexible as she was. Hinata jumped back, landing in front of Tsunade to catch her breath. She knew that Kabuto was at least Jounin level, she was good but… even she had a limit. She needed to end this fight quickly and there was only one technique that she could use. True she hasn't fully mastered it but… she really didn't have much choice. Concentrating all of Yukihime's power to the tip of the blade, "Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" this time the attack was true, encasing Kabuto in ice.

Turning she placed her blade back into its sheath, glaring down at the female Sannin. "If you will not become the Hokage because the village asks," Hinata's voice ice cold and laced with venom, "Then become the Hokage for your godson and start to repent for the years you left him alone. Stop being such a coward, stop running from your fears and your past… turn to face them and fight!"

Tsunade's fists clenched, her eyes downcast, she had been running from her fears. When both Dan and Nawaki died, the pain of failing to save them was too much for her to bear, so she left and wandered around the countries. She only returned to the village because Kushina wanted her to deliver the baby. She had left believing that Kushina would always be there for Naruto, though if what Jiraiya had told her was true… she should have returned sooner. Perhaps Hinata was right, and she was too afraid to face her fears. Tsunade leapt to her feet, driving her hand into Kabuto's face as he broke free of her icy prison. "I am Senju Tsunade, godmother of Namikaze Naruto and," she raised her eyes, newfound confidence reflecting within them, "Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato!" She reared her fist back, slamming it against the ground.

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Now that's what I call a chapter! So, Naruto finally found Kushina AND can use Sephiroth's powers easier. On a side note, what Kushina says to Naruto which are in italics is the translated version of the song "Tatakai ni Hitsuyona Mono" from Rock Musical Bleach. If anyone is interested in listening to the Japanese version it can be found on Youtube, just search for "Live Bankai Show Code 002 Part 6 Subbed" from 8:31-9:35. It can be found in Saien sung by Urahara but I think it sounds better when Yoruichi sings it. Finally Danzou's dead! How many of you thought he was going to live when he got away from Lu Bu? Come on, I know some of you must have thought I wouldn't kill him.

I really have no questions to ask about this chapter. However I would like to first say that, remember awhile back I said the only thing that would appear from Bleach were the zanpakuto? Well, I lied. The remaining tailed beasts are going to be Arrancar, who's who I'll leave for you to guess since I already know who I'm going to use. On another note there's a poll in my profile asking should Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo from FFVIIAC appear. I'm undecided but I have an idea of how I could introduce them... I'm just not sure if I want them in the story. So please vote and tell me what you think.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The years she had been trapped within her crystal prison were vague memories, most of them she had been hibernating, conserving her strength until the day she could break free. However, the odd thing was that she had not broken the crystal which kept her trapped. She lay there upon the water's surface, her three shark tails lazily waving about, a painful reminder of the form which she took. Not that she was stuck as a giant three-tailed shark; like all of the other tailed beasts; she could take on human form. The only problem was that whenever she did there still were… remnants of her shark form. But that was the least of her problems, at the moment there were humans here who had disturbed her rest. Of course, she should be grateful to them for breaking her prison. She knew fighting in her full shark form would put her at a disadvantage… not that she liked fighting in that form. The water surged around her, blocking her from view and she felt the familiar sensation of changing forms.

Knee-length boots and elbow-length gloves covered her now human arms and legs; a single row of shark teeth ran down her stomach which ended at a mini-skirt; a collar around her neck included extensions which ran down to cover her well endowed chest; spaulders covered her shoulders, attached to which was a 'wing' which appeared to be more of a shark's tail along with a third one at the base of her spine; all of which was made of white bone. Her blonde hair was short and spiky, and though she couldn't see them, she knew the two lightning bolts which adorned her cheeks were there as well. Her hand gripped the handle of her sword, _Tiburon_, raising the broad pata-like weapon, which in all truth resembled more of an elongated shark tooth with three gill marks upon the sides, above her. This was her fighting form, her _Resurreccion_, the form she preferred over her full demon one. She cut the water which surrounded her, allowing it to fall like rain, her green eyes glaring at the humans.

Bringing the blade up, she fired a beam of pure deep ocean blue demonic chakra from the tip of the blade. The beam of condensed chakra shot off in random directions as it impacted a crystal barrier. She raised a blonde eyebrow, so it was shinobi that she was facing… this may prove to be interesting. Normally she wouldn't fight, in fact, she was content to merely watch a battle and observe; however, enough humans had tried to capture her in the past. All of those attempts failed of course, until that one person imprisoned her. She wouldn't be used and she wouldn't be trapped again, which meant she had no other choice but to fight. Water swirled around the blade in the shape of a shark's tooth, "_La Gota_," she muttered seconds before the blast fired. The blast of condensed water shattered the crystal and she immediately swung her sword, an invisible blade of wind flowing out but the shinobi were already gone.

She appeared high in the air as hundreds of sharp crystal shards rained down on her former position. Her demonic chakra gathered at _Tiburon_'s tip, swinging her sword the demonic energy followed the arc of the blade. Used this way, the blast was weaker but it covered a vastly larger area, making it harder to dodge. The shinobi proved to be fast, barely getting out of the blast range in time. She appeared behind the shinobi, a kunoichi now that she got a closer look, and swung _Tiburon_. Crystal sprung up and blocked the strike; however the force of the swing was enough to send the kunoichi flying across the water. Hundreds more crystal shards flew at her. Unlike last time, she didn't doge them. "_Cascada_." The water about her feet surged, forming a massive tidal wave and devouring the shards. The tidal wave continued, crashing against the shore and toppling dozens of trees as it flooded the land.

Turning she released another arc of her demonic chakra from _Tiburon_'s tip, disintegrating the shards which flew at her. Another blast of condensed water shot from her blade even as she appeared behind the kunoichi, the aquatic bullet hitting the kunoichi dead in the back. She stood next to the downed kunoichi, _Tiburon_ poised to deliver the final blow, "Just… wha… what are you?" the kunoichi asked. "_Sanbi no Same_, Tia Halibel," her voice was calm and indifferent, even as the blast of her demonic chakra vaporized the kunoichi's upper body, the remains slowly sinking to the depths of the sea. "GUREN-SAN!" Great, more shinobi, Halibel didn't have the patience to deal with these pathetic humans. She appeared before them swinging her blade, "_Cero_," she muttered even as the blast of her demonic energy vaporized the shinobi in much the same way as the kunoichi was. With the battle over, she turned on her heel, walking across the water's surface back towards the land. Water surged around her once again, her body taking on a more human appearance.

White _hakama_ held up by a black sash covered her darkly tanned skin; black _tab _with white straw sandals adorned her feet; and a jacket which covered her face from her nose down and extended just enough to cover her breasts, the sleeves of which ended in black gloves. Her blonde hair grew three braids, two in the back and one on the left side of her face. Tiburon now took the form of a small but wide sword sheathed upon her back, the handle wrapped with purple cloth and an equally wide cross hand guard. The question which remained was what should she do with her new found freedom? The demonic chakra she had used during the fight would surely be felt for miles… quite possibly felt all throughout the Elemental Nations. In no time dozens of shinobi would come to the area wondering what it was and wondering if they could somehow control that power… her power. Which left only one option really, she'd have to go to the nearest town and lay low for awhile.

Or she could try and find the other Biju to find out what happened while she had been imprisoned. Normally she would just wait for them to find her but most of the Biju only really cared about themselves. Halibel stretched out with her demonic senses, searching for the others' demonic signatures and finding none close to her. If she was not always so calm she would have sighed in annoyance, but waiting never bothered her. She crossed her arms under her breasts as she entered the town, doing her best to ignore the whispers. Apparently she had not been trapped long enough to be forgotten by the older humans. Of course, it didn't help that she was on the border of _Mizu no Kuni_ where anything that remotely resembled a _kekkei genkai_ was hated and, if possible, destroyed. The fact that she was the _Sanbi _was unknown to all except to the Mizukage, but to the paranoid civilians her "unnatural" control over water was assigned to a _kekkei genkai_… not that she cared what humans thought, it just made it harder to lay low.

She spun, grabbing the katana with her bare hand, her steel skin or '_Hierro_' preventing the blade from cutting into her. Several villagers now surrounded her, intent on either driving her out of the village or killing her because of her '_kekkei genkai_'. It wasn't like these mortals could kill her, but she didn't want the undue attention that a battle would cause. With no more then the sound of a static buzz, she disappeared from sight, becoming visible only to dive into the ocean's depths, sifting into her _Resurreccion_ for better maneuverability. Perhaps it would be easier to hide somewhere on the mainland and away from the islands of _Mizu no Kuni_. Of course, she did enjoy the feeling of the water on her skin as she swam… maybe she'd indulge herself and remain in the water for some time.

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It was a full month since Hinata returned to the village with Tsunade, and it was fully repaired after the failed invasion. All appeared to be going well for the ninja village… at least, that's how it appeared to the civilians. The first thing that Tsunade did upon her return was regain all of the stolen powers that the council took in the absence of a Hokage, thereby making the council… or what was left of it, back into a more advisory council with very little power. She also decided that Lu Bu would not be punished for his… what some would consider treasonous slaughter of the civilian council. However, she agreed with him that the council had been more of a pain in the ass than anything else. Personally, Tsunade thought he did her a huge favor by taking care of them.

She also returned to the hospital, taking up her duties as Head Medic-nin once again. The hospital once again found itself under a huge reform as many of the doctors and nurses were… _reminded_ of the oath they took and how it applied to _everyone_. Tsunade, as well as Jiraiya, were informed of the events which took place within the hidden ROOT base. After personally seeing that Naruto was fully healed, the two Sannin went down to see Kushina. There they found Benihime, Yugito and Yoruichi looking through the base, or in Yoruichi's case, burning the dead ROOT bodies. When they stood in front of Kushina, they could feel the hate which radiated off her. Despite this, Tsunade made sure that Kushina was recovering properly, the Namikaze woman would only need to remain in the tank of liquid chakra for another two months at the most. Tsunade half expected to be yelled at by Kushina, but the red-haired woman said nothing, merely glaring at them as if that was enough to express her anger. Sighing to herself, Tsunade headed back to her office, there was much paperwork left over from the Chuunin Exams that she needed to review.

Benihime frowned, looking down at the desk Danzou had used within the base. She had gone through all of his files, which included all of the missions his ROOT ANBU completed and all of the experiments which revolved around the Uzumaki _kekkei genkai_. Many of the missions were nothing more then hunting down missing-nin or assassinations to further Danzou's political goals. There was one mission, however, that did catch her eye, a mission which involved the investigation of the murder of Uchiha Shisui. Shisui had apparently "killed" himself by drowning in the water; many believed that Itachi was the one behind the "suicide". Considering Shisui died before the Uchiha Massacre, no one could ever blame Itachi. Danzou had lost his right arm and eye in the Great Shinobi War, took both Shisui's right eye and his right arm. She really didn't care what Danzou had done, but the Uchiha Clan constantly remained a thorn in her side.

They and their accursed Sharingan eyes would remain a threat to her so long as even one Uchiha was alive. To think that she, the strongest of the Kitsune and all of the tailed beasts, could be controlled so easily by a mere human. It was a disgrace! It was an outrage! What frustrated her even more was the fact she didn't even know how those Kami damned eyes could control her. She remembered the two times that she had been controlled and manipulated; twelve years ago which ended with her sealed within Naruto… and many years before that. It was during the time that the Shodai Hokage ruled over Konoha, she knew because she had been living in the forest which surrounded the village. In fact, if it was not for her allowing it the village never would have been built. It was sometime after Uchiha Madara had left his clan, that the Uchiha had found her den. The self-exiled Uchiha used his eyes to control her, and forced her to attack the village. To this day, all she could remember from looking into his eyes was like watching all of her carefully constructed emotional defenses crumble. It felt like those Kami damned eyes released all of her subconscious animal instincts, driving her into nothing more then pure bloodlust.

With the Uchiha's defeat and apparent 'death' at the hands of the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, she'd been released from her bloodlust. After regaining her senses she had apologized to Hashirama and told him what the Uchiha had done. She returned to her den, living in peace and only being disturbed when Uzumaki Kushina found her. It would be many more months before _he_ returned to her den. Madara had lived, how exactly she didn't know, but all she knew was that he was alive and he was driving her into another bloodlust. She couldn't remember anything from that point onwards, until she awakened to find herself sealed inside an infant human. Madara was a threat to her and her fellow Biju, and she'd personally make sure to send the Uchiha's soul straight to hell.

Cloud and Tifa were... well, they didn't know what to feel. Half of them wanted to believe that Naruto was different, that he wasn't at all like Sephiroth. They had seen him interact with Hinata, saw how he treated her and they were beginning to think that they were wrong about him. Then he completely destroys ROOT… images of what Sephiroth had done in Nibelheim flashed through their minds, ff how Sephiroth slaughtered the citizens of the town and razed it to the ground. Neither Cloud nor Tifa had talked too much to each other after that, lost in their own thoughts. Until Tifa confronted Cloud one night, "Can't we… can't we just leave the past behind us?" She asked him. Cloud didn't answer her, merely looking up at the stars.

Tifa had not been there, had not seen Sephiroth stand in front of that _monster_ that was Jenova. Cloud could never forget that sight, the image forever burned into his memory. He could not look at Naruto without seeing Sephiroth surrounded by flames. He saw Naruto stand before his trapped mother the same way as Sephiroth stood before Jenova… a monster before another monster. He didn't say that of course, but what he did say was, "You know how it happened… we're lucky he didn't burn this village like…" Cloud never finished his sentence as his head whipped to the side, the imprint of a hand appearing on his cheek.

Tifa lowered her eyes to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes, "Why… why can't we just forget about the past?" She didn't get an answer, not that she was expecting one.

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Kakashi stood off to the side, watching his team spar against each other. Many of the other Jounin accused him of being lazy and not teaching his team much, which was untrue of course. While he was lazy most of the time, he took being a shinobi seriously and he carried that into his teachings… at least he hoped. The truth of the matter was that there really wasn't anything that he could teach them that hadn't already been taught by another. Hinata and Naruto were taught by both Lu Bu and Itachi, and Sasuke was taught by Hayate. Both Itachi and Hayate taught the basics, chakra manipulation, tree climbing, everything that Kakashi himself would have taught his genin team, and because of that there wasn't much left to teach. So he held these spars instead, looking for improvement and seeing how far his students had come. He knew as well that promotions to Chuunin should be decided soon… of course he knew as well that it would take longer with the new Hokage.

Personally though, Kakashi thought Sasuke was more than ready to become Chuunin. The sliver haired Jounin had seen the young Uchiha fight during the invasion and had been impressed. Hatake hadn't seen Naruto and Hinata; however, if the Namikaze's fight with Neji was anything to go by, then Naruto wasn't ready. What Kakashi had seen was a genin who went head first into fights without thoughts. Kakashi pushed those thoughts to the back of his head; he had a sparing session to watch.

Their blades clashed against each other, the clang of metal on metal reverberating throughout the training field. _Masamune_ clashed against both _Genesis_ and _Yukihime _as Naruto defended himself from Sasuke and Hinata. Naruto smirked to himself, despite the fact that he was easily blocking all of Sasuke's and Hinata's attacks. Having trained with Benihime for so long, everyone else seemed to be fighting in slow motion. Even so, and though he'd never say so out loud, he was enjoying this fight as both Hinata and Sasuke greatly improved. Normally he found spars against the Uchiha heir dull and not worth his time, but over this past month Sasuke must have improved much more then what Naruto thought he would. Granted, Sasuke wasn't at the level that he was, and combined with the fact that Hinata knew every one of his moves… it was just enough to keep him on the defensive.

He spun on his feet, easily blocking their attacks as they tried to attack from opposite directions. Twisting his hand, _Masamune_'s blade angled down at the ground catching _Genesis_ and _Yukihime_. He pushed against their blades, Sasuke pressing the attack until Naruto jumped backwards, _Yukihime _impaling the ground where he stood moments ago. Sasuke spun in the air, trying to catch Naruto off guard… it was simple enough to deflect the attack and send Sasuke flying back. _Masamune_ clashed against _Yukihime_'s whip form, a small smirk crossing his face as he stared into Hinata's eyes. They pushed against each other, neither able to get the upper hand. "We've sparred too much together… haven't we, Hinata-chan?" Naruto's voice was light, almost playful, the change of tone enough to cause Hinata to drop her guard and be pushed back. A dry chuckle escaped her lips as she stood behind Sasuke, muttering to herself, "I expected nothing less from you, Naruto-kun."

"Hyuga, stand back… it's time I showed Namikaze that he isn't the only one who improved," Sasuke stepped forward, _Genesis_ already alit in blazing flames. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but Kakashi's hand on her shoulder stopped any argument she would have said. _Masamune _flashed, blocking Sasuke's attacks… Naruto raised a silver eyebrow; these attacks were stronger, more power put behind them. Granted Sasuke couldn't get past Naruto's defenses but Naruto found himself moving faster then he had been but moments ago. Now Naruto was annoyed, not only was he on the defensive, he was also giving ground… his adoptive father taught him to never give ground! Pushing Sasuke back he pressed the attack not daring to let the Uchiha heir regain his footing. Jumping into the air, the two young swordsmen continued their duel, their single wing keeping them from falling back to the ground. Allowing gravity to take hold, Sasuke dropped several dozen meters, gathering fire natured chakra into his left hand as he did so. He swung his arm, shooting off dozens of fireballs, many of them seemingly missing Naruto before coming around and surrounding the Namikaze.

Striking with _Masamune_, Naruto destroyed what fireballs that he could before he was over taken. Sasuke smirked, gathering as much fire chakra into his hand as he could to launch one final massive fireball. Suddenly Hinata was upon him, her eyes burning with cold fury as her right hand gripped Sasuke's left and already covered in ice. Growling in anger he back handed her, shattering the ice which incased his hand in the process, but the distraction gave Naruto all the time to recover. The silver haired Namikaze launched a blade of sharpened chakra, cutting through the fire which surrounded him, revealing himself completely unharmed. Naruto pursued Sasuke through the trees which surrounded the training area, intent on beating down Sasuke for the blow which the Uchiha dealt to Hinata. _Masamune _cut through the trees as the young Uchiha dodged and deflected the attacks, back flipping onto the open ground of the training area to avoid another blade of chakra. The Uchiha raised _Genesis_ catching _Masamune_, the force of the clashing blades sent a small shockwave through the training field as the ground around their feet depressed.

Pushing against the other, they jumped back several feet, lightning surged around Genesis as Sasuke channeled Chidori into it while Naruto merely outstretched his left hand behind him. The two charged at each other, intent on proving who was the stronger, neither cared they were using their most powerful technique and neither cared that their momentum wouldn't allow them to stop their attack. This stopped being a duel between teammates the moment Sasuke fought with his full strength and it was never a duel between friends. Hinata dashed forward, _Yukihime_ already in hand, when it was clear that her teammates were going to kill each other. Her eyes widened when it appeared she would be too late as _Genesis_ and _Masamune_ drew ever closer. "_NAKE_!" A red wave of energy intercepted the two blades, the resulting explosion enough to force the two blades away from each other.

There stood Benihime, _Benitsune _dissolved into red mist as it returned to the seal upon her forearm, her red eyes blazed with fury. Her steps were slow and precise, drawing ever closer to Kakashi, her killer intent directed solely upon the jounin. Her hand came flying up, catching the silver-haired jounin on his cheek, her claws making swallow cuts upon his skin. Kakashi stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground, Benihime glaring down at him. "The next time I find that you did not end the spar before it got out of hand, I will _personally_ take you to hell." Turning on her heel she began walking back to the village, calling over her shoulder, "Naruto, Hinata, Uchiha, come, the Hokage wishes to see us."

Twenty minutes later the four of them were standing in the Hokage's office, Tsunade seated behind her desk and Jiraiya standing off to the side. Yoruichi and Yugito were also there, as well as Kiraa Bi who had been sent by the Raikage to check on Yugito. Tsunade looked up, addressing Team Seven first, "I have a mission for you. Most recently we have heard reports of a 'sea monster' that is living off the coasts. Given what we know about the Biju I thought it was worth investigating. Yoruichi will be sent with you incase it does turn out to be one of the Biju. You will leave tomorrow, dismissed." Only when the three genin left did she turn her attention to those who remained in her office. "Tell me, what do you know about an organization called 'Akatsuki'?"

* * *

So the next arc begins. So, I've introduced Halibel as the Sanbi no Same (or three-tailed shark, if I'm wrong there please tell me). Who saw that one coming? I mean really, could any other Arrancar fit? Speaking of which, can you guess which Arrancar is going to be which Biju? And remember they're not going to be like they're shown in the manga. The fight between Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke... I know what it's familiar to, and remember I did that on purpose. So, clearly Sasuke learned more from Genesis than mere swordplay.

One thing I would like to ask, when Benihime is talking about what Madara did to her... does it sound plausible?

Well thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Judging by the silence, no one had heard of them, "Akatsuki is an organization made of ten S-Class missing-nin. Their members are still unknown but what is known about them is that they aim to capture all of the nine Biju. Their purpose is also unknown but we can assume they wish to use the Biju's power." Tsunade watched carefully for any reaction, but the most she got were raised eyebrows from the two demonesses.

Benihime frowned, all of the tailed demons could fight one on one with an S-Class missing-nin and win… but the kitsune queen highly doubted this organization would do that. No, if she was running it then she would send out two at a time… which meant there was a possibility of five two man teams wandering the Elemental Countries. If they were going to avoid capture, then the nine tailed demons would have to gather. That in itself had its own risks. On one side it meant that they had better chances of beating this 'Akatsuki'… on the other hand it ran the risk of forcing all of the members to come at once. That was another problem, if all of the demons were to gather in the village… how would the villagers react? Like all of the other ignorant humans but hopefully their fear would stop them from doing anything stupid… even then she doubted that. The kitsune queen stepped forward, "I know the risks, however, I wish to request permission to gather the remaining Biju here in the village."

Tsunade thought for several moments, wondering how the civilians and the other ninja would react should they find out about the demons. She also considered a full scale attack by this Akatsuki organization. It was a major risk, putting the entire village at risk… but it decreased the chances that Akatsuki would capture the Biju. The female Hokage nodded her head, "Very well, I request that they all hide their demonic features while they remain here. You'll have to ask Lu Bu and Diao Chan, but I'd prefer if they remained with you at the Namikaze estates."

Benihime nodded her head, if it was not common knowledge that she was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, she too would have changed to a fully human form. Not that it mattered anymore… but there was one thing that needed to be done before the other Biju were gathered. Nodding with her head to Yoruichi, the neko demoness stood in front of Kiraa Bi, her hand stabbing the Kumo jinchuuriki through the stomach. However, her hand did no damage to him, passing through him and into the seal which contained the _Hachibi no Hebi_. Yoruichi pulled her hand out holding a shapeless mass of dark violet chakra; the chakra condensed and took form. Standing before them was a young woman, long olive-green hair with a white bone hairclip keeping the bangs back on the right side of her face, as well as three small purple dots beneath her right eye. She wore a long white dress with black trim, the sleeves of which extending a good foot past her hands, white straw sandals with black tabi adorned her feet and a black belt in the shape of an 'X' with the kanji for 'seal' acting as the buckle completed the look. This was Sun-Sun, _Hachibi no Hebi_ and leader of all snakes.

For a few brief moments, Benihime and Sun-Sun stared at one another; the tension clearly felt in the air. Sun-sun brought her right hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes expressionless, "For the record kitsune, my father, Yamata no Orochi, has been banished from the clan because of how he led us." Benihime's fists tightened, her claws digging into her skin, red slited eyes narrowed as Sun-Sun continued to speak, "His body was destroyed and his spirit forever condemned to be trapped within the body of a human."

Benihime barely withheld her anger, "That's the least of the punishments that he deserved for what that bastard did to my mother. If I find his soul I will make him suffer for all eternity." With that the kitsune queen left, closely followed by Yoruichi and Yugito with Sun-Sun and Kiraa Bi staying towards the back. Benihime walked through the village, ignoring the snake queen, her fists tightening with every step that she took. She knew she would meet the Hebi queen when she decided that the demons would need to be gathered. Doesn't mean that her hate towards them would be forgotten, though, she had thought that she would be able to control her emotions… put her personal vengeance aside. Apparently seeing the daughter of the demon who killed her mother was too much even for her vast emotional defenses. Was it selfish of her to hate all of the Hebi clan when it was Orochi who had killed her mother? Yet weren't all of the Hebi held to blame for following that bastard's leadership?

Benihime took a calming breath, unclenched her claws and slowed her pace somewhat. Now was not the time for her hatred to cloud her mind, instead she turned her thoughts to search for the reason behind the Hebi's apparent change in leadership. She had seen, countless times, that humans flocked to the banner of the strongest one… demons were no different. In the demonic realm you were either respected or you were feared, perhaps Orochi had been feared by the majority of the clan and perhaps there were those that respected him. Apparently someone decided to do something about that bastard's rule… well, as long as Sun-Sun wasn't like her father Benihime had no real problem. She didn't fully trust the hebi queen, but Benihime would never trust a hebi. Regardless, the kitsune queen had more important things to think about.

One issue was the mission that Naruto and the others are being sent on. She knew the Sanbi; in fact, they were close friends ever since they were little. There'd be no problem during the mission, she knew once Halibel was told of Akatsuki then she'd come. The Shark Empress was always the most insightful of the Nine Demon Lords, and as long no one did anything to provoke her, Halibel wouldn't attack. Then again, she wouldn't put it past the Uchiha to say the wrong thing, but at least Yoruichi was going with them so the neko woman would be able to stop anything that may start. Then there was convincing Diao Chan and Lu Bu to allow the other nine Demon Lords to stay in the estates with them. If they didn't agree, she'd have to figure out where else they could stay… well; there was the ex-ROOT underground base they could use. Benihime should remain there anyway, if for no other reason then to keep an eye on Kushina. Well, she'd worry about that when the time came.

* * *

Halibel rose out of the water, shifting out of her Resurreccion as she walked into the dark cavern she found herself in. She had found this cavern by chance, though she had not expected it to be a human laboratory. Normally she would have left, not wanting to be bothered with fighting against humans and not really caring what they did, but before she could return to the water, a shinobi had found her. The resulting fight alerted the other shinobi in this hidden lab and before she knew it there were dozens of them surrounding her. She unsheathed _Tiburon_, the blade consisting of nothing more than the edges with the middle completely hollow. The 'battle', if it could be called that, didn't last long as, while vast in number, the ninja she fought weren't as powerful as she was. Having nothing else to do she wandered through the lab, and what she found made her blood boil.

Being the _Sanbi no Same_ meant she was more then just the Empress of the Sharks, it also meant she was the Empress of all creatures of the sea. As such, she rarely tolerated those who needlessly harmed those of her oceanic realm. She knew there would always be humans who fished for food, and she tolerated that; everyone, human, animal or demon, did what they had to do to stay alive. But the things being done in this lab caused her normally calm exterior to shatter like glass. There were dozens of tanks filled with all kinds of sea creatures, all of them deformed… disfigured and experimented on in all sorts of ways. The lengths that humans went to gain power never surprised her, but this… she wasn't sure she could even find the correct words to describe it. She brushed her hand against the cold glass as one deformed shark came up to her, clearly seeking the attention of its empress. She nearly regretted killing all of the humans here so swiftly.

She spun on her heels when she heard the soft pitter-patter of feet running away and with the static-buzz of her _Sonido,_ she disappeared from sight. She reappeared in front of the human, a young teenaged girl with bandages covering parts of her body, though the bandages appeared more to conceal something. Halibel could sense the fear which rolled off the girl in waves, yet deeper down there was anger and… sadness? For several seconds, Halibel thought of dealing with the young teenager the same way she had dealt with the other humans here, but she didn't. Instead she was bombarded with thoughts of two lesser demons she had rescued; Apache, a young doe demon, and Mila-Rose, a young lioness demon. To this day, Halibel wasn't completely sure why she had taken them in. Perhaps she didn't like it when others were picked on or perhaps she didn't want them to grow up alone and orphaned. Regardless, she took them and raised them, not caring about what the other demonic clans did concerning adopting those from another clan. The Shark clan was never like though some were bloodthirsty; for the most part the entire clan thought logically. But that was a tale for another time; she had a more pressing matter to attend to. Looking right at the young teenager Halibel said, "Tell me, child, why are you here?"

There was only a moment's hesitation in the girls voice when she said, "T-they p-promised to t-turn me b-back to normal." At Halibel's raised eyebrow, the girl removed the bandages which covered her, revealing green scales. So that was it, Halibel thought, this girl was just another experiment. Of course, Halibel doubted that the humans would return the young teenager to 'normal'. Regardless, Halibel wasn't heartless, and she wouldn't leave the young teenager alone, not when she was so clearly scared and unsure of what to do. No, Halibel would care for the girl just as she had cared for both Apache and Mila-Rose.

Halibel unzipped her jacket; revealing the bone white mask resembling that of a shark's mouth which covered everything from her nose down and extended just enough to cover her ample chest, and the blazing black '3' tattooed upon the left side of her right breast which forever indicated her rank within the Biju. "Are you ashamed of what they turned you into?" The girl didn't answer; she didn't have to as Halibel looked into the young teenager's eyes, clearly seeing the hurt which hid deep within them. "Don't be," Halibel's voice was soothing, despite the mask which adorned her face, "Accept it as a part of yourself and turn it into pride. Ignore what other bigoted and ignorant people have to say about it, and become much more powerful. I can help you. Become my ward, and I'll take care of you."

The teenager didn't answer, didn't need to as Halibel could see. Halibel reached out, placing her hand upon the girl's head, a small amount of her demonic energies flowing out of her and into the girl. The scales disappeared, leaving only three gill marks on each side of the teenager's neck, the only outward sign of what Halibel had just done. When the teenager noticed the changes, she rushed forward wrapping her arms around Halibel and burying her head in the shark empress' chest. The demoness wrapped her arms around the crying girl, comforting her like a mother would. It was strange, it was so much easier to take care of Apache and Mila-Rose, but perhaps that was because the two younger demonesses were orphaned and still relatively young. It didn't matter, the young teenager was now a shark hanyou, a half demon shark, and Halibel always looked after those of the oceanic realm.

* * *

Diao Chan stood before Kushina deep in the underground base, staring at the red-haired woman. It was strange standing before the mother of the boy who she raised as her own. A small part of her was glad that Kushina was found and yet another part of her wasn't; it was selfish, she knew, to feel jealous of the woman. Even so, Diao Chan feared Naruto would distance himself from her and Lu Bu to spend more time with his mother. For the past month, Naruto had spent all his free time down here talking to his mother. She understood his actions but, she was worried that Kushina was quickly becoming the center of her adoptive son's life. After all, it wasn't surprising that having spent all of these years raising him as her own, she had a right to worry about him.

It was bad enough that she worried her unborn child would cause him to feel neglected and now he was spending so much time with his biological mother. What was she thinking? She should be happy for her adoptive son… then why wasn't she? Deep within her heart, she was both frightened and saddened, of what exactly she wasn't sure. Somehow she knew something was wrong. And on top of all of this, Benihime wanted to have the other Biju remain in the Namikaze mansion?! It was not that she was afraid of the demons… it wasn't even that she believed that they were 'evil'. It was because she worried about her child growing up around them. Was she merely worrying over nothing? Surely once this 'Akatsuki' organization was defeated, the other demons would leave. But there was no telling how long that would take and she doubted it would happen in the next nine months; it could take that long just to find all nine of the tailed beasts! Diao Chan shook her head, dispelling those thoughts. She came down here to talk to Kushina, not get tangled up in her own fears.

She stared up into the eyes of the Namikaze matriarch, easily seeing the infinite gratitude for raising Naruto. Diao Chan smiled despite her growing nervousness, "Well, I know you'd like to hear how little Naruto was." Kushina's smile could have lit the entire city and nearly dissolved Diao Chan's nervousness; yet deep in her heart it remained. Burying it deeper, Diao Chan recalled all of Naruto's childhood antics, a smile always on her face.

Above ground within the Namikaze training grounds Haku and Yugito sparred against each other, _Hyorinmaru_ clashed against _Suzumebachi_ as the two kunoichi fought. Though neither would admit it, the two kunoichi sparred for the exact same reasons. And that reason was the silver-haired Namikaze Naruto. Both wished to become stronger to help and protect Naruto in anyway that they could. The time when Naruto nearly died saving his mother from ROOT opened their eyes to how little they were able to do for him. They should have been there with him, should have been fighting by his side, instead they had gone off to train by themselves. And because of that they barely got there in time to stop Danzou from killing the Namikaze. There was more to their training, though neither would admit it.

What Yugito would admit was that Naruto was one of her only friends, and it was not just because they were both _Jinchuuriki_. It was not because he had shared nearly the same childhood as her, except of course the obvious differences. Where she was brought up alone he had been adopted… where she had been taught to be a weapon for her village he had been taught to be the best warrior… yet they both knew of the hatred that their village held for them, the cold unrelenting stares that constantly followed them, constantly whispering behind their backs. When she was younger, Yugito never truly had the time to ponder why her village hated her. Never truly questioned why the adults led their children away from her. She had been far to busy with her training, always being pushed to work harder… faster… more… until finally all of her emotions had been driven from her body when she was but eight years old. The only thing she knew or cared about was her shinobi life and becoming better at what she did.

Had she not meet Yoruichi-sama when she turned ten, Yugito may very well still be unemotional. Which is not saying that Yugito was 'in touch' with her emotions, instead it was more like how the silver haired Namikaze acts. The emotions were there, she just couldn't fully remember what it was to 'feel'. And that's the reason why she didn't want to leave. Because when she was around Naruto something within her chest would stir… something in her chest would tighten. She still remembered how fear gripped her heart as she raced through the underground base, wondering if she was too late. She remembered the vast relief which flooded her veins as she saw him standing on the bridge and she remembered the unbridled rage when she saw Danzou ready to kill Naruto. She still remembered the worry which filled her when she saw how wounded he had been and how happy she felt when she found out that it was his mother that he had finally found. All of these emotions swirled around her and until she had the answers to the questions which plagued her mind she wouldn't leave.

Yet deeper down, her own heart whispered into her ear, "Is it _really_ all that this is about?" Wait… that was merely the spirit of _Suzumebachi_ talking to her. Yugito had completely forgotten about the little spirit which resided in her blade. Yugito wouldn't lie to herself; she'd admit she felt… something when around the Namikaze. What exactly she wasn't sure but until she found out she would remain by his side. "There's more to this and you know it," Suzumebachi once again whispered to her. If there's one thing Yugito didn't like about the little spirit it was that Suzumebachi was too… hyper. That and the little spirit knew her better than she knew herself, which, at times could be very annoying. Over the years Yugito learned to ignore the lively spirit, but what Suzumebachi said wouldn't leave her. Deep down the blonde kunoichi knew that the little spirit was right… she just didn't want to admit it.

For Haku it was a different matter all together. Yes, she had been worried beyond words for Naruto-sama when she found him in the underground base, worried about his wounds and wondering if he would live. She knew he would, of course, but the fear wouldn't leave her no matter how many times she repeated it. But more than that it felt like she almost lost a part of herself again. She feared that what happened to Zabuza would once again happen to Naruto-sama. Haku knew enough that if Naruto-sama died then she would as well… what good was living if the person who gave her a reason to live was no longer there? What good was a weapon or tool if it couldn't properly serve its master? What good was a shield if it couldn't protect its master? It was no good… it was useless and useless weapons, shields, or tools were discarded. That's what she had been, a useless shield unable to protect Naruto-sama.

And that's why she trained, to prove that she wasn't useless and she wouldn't be thrown away because if that happened she wouldn't be able to live with the quilt. The quilt of knowing that she could have done something but she had been too weak. The quilt of knowing that she had failed the one that gave her a meaning to life. The quilt of knowing that she had failed the one to whom she had silently pledged her life to. The quilt of knowing that she had failed the one she pledged to protect and serve. It would be too much for her… the mere thought of what may happen nearly brought tears to her face. Beneath all of her fears, another part of her said that Naruto-sama wasn't like that. Hadn't she lived with him long enough to know him enough to trust that he wouldn't simply abandon her? Her rational mind told her one thing… her fears told her something else… and her heart told her things she wasn't even familiar with.

Her heart told her things which went against what she was. She was Naruto-sama's tool… his weapon… his shield. She couldn't possibly have feelings for him, because tools didn't have feelings. That was the core lesson that Zabuza had drilled into her when she had been young. Yes, she could feel her heart calm whenever she had slept next to him… feel her heart beat when she thought she had nearly lost him... but it didn't mean anything. She was his tool and tools didn't have feelings for their masters. Yet her heart kept asking her… _"Do you really believe that?"_ She kept repeating over and over and over and over in her mind that she didn't feel. Repeating that tools couldn't feel anything for their masters, yet deep down her heart asked her, "Can they?"

* * *

Finally! I have updated! I'm sure many of you are happy. Now, I know this is a filler chapter but I didn't want to go right into the next Arc. So, Sun-Sun is the eight tailed snake... who saw that coming? All that's left is to reveal the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Bijuu, but that's not going to happen until Sasuke defects so have fun guessing until then. Now about Isaribi... I wasn't going to kill her off and for awhile I was trying to figure out if I was going to include her at all but... in the end, Halibel 'adopting' her won. However, Isaribi will NOT be included in Naruto's harem, I want to make that clear now.

Anyway, taking what Sun-Sun said about Yamato no Orochi's punishment... can you name the human his spirit is in? Not very hard I know but I'm not confrimming or denying anything.

Well, that's all for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it and see you when the next chapter comes out.... oh, before I forget, the poll on my profile is still open and will remain open so if you haven't voted yet please feel free to do so.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Naruto was… at odds with himself, his emotions waging a war inside of him that he didn't know could exist. Normally when he was in such a state of turmoil, he would retreat into his mindscape and talk with Benihime… and he nearly did just now. It took him several moments to remember that she was no longer within his mind; only Sephiroth remained and he offered no answers. Had he relied on Benihime's presence for so long that he couldn't cope with what he was feeling on his own? Had he relied so much on her comforting aura? Then again, who can blame him? She had been the one that was always closest to him. Once again he was reminded of just how much he truly relied on her.

And more and more he found himself thinking of Haku and Yugito as well, which led to part of his self-conflict. He knew, for quite some time now, of the deep feelings he held for Hinata… yet he was finding that those same feelings were beginning to develop for Haku, Yugito and even Benihime. What troubled him the most was not the fact that he was beginning to develop these feelings for them… he was more worried how Hinata would act should she find out. Would she be angry at him? Would she accept it and understand? Would she come to love the ones he loved in the same way? So many questions, no answers for any of them, and no one to answer them; except, of course, Hinata. But the fear of her reaction kept his mouth shut.

Perhaps he should have mentioned this to Kaa-sama, as he had taken calling Kushina? He found it easier to refer to Diao Chan as mother and Kushina as kaa-sama, when trying to think about his two mothers. A thought struck him then… shouldn't he feel guilty about thinking about Kaa-sama so much and not as much about Diao Chan? He should, shouldn't he? After all, it was Diao Chan that had raised him for most of his life. She was the one he had always gone to when he needed an answer, always the one he went to for advice. Yet didn't he have the right to spend time with Kushina to make up for all those years they had been separated? There was more to it than that and he knew it. How long had he dreamed of making his biological parents proud of him? How often had he wondered if what he did made them proud?

And now he had the chance to make Kaa-sama proud of him. Speaking of kaa-sama, his blood boiled every time he thought of what had been done to her. Of how she had been betrayed by those she had sworn to protect…. held captive against her will… and who knows what else Danzou had done to her those six years he held her prisoner. The only thing he regretted was that he could not drive his sword into Danzou's traitorous heart. What made it worse was that the deceased Sandaime _never_ told him about her and the _only_reason he found out about her when he was six was because of Diao Chan and Lu Bu adopting him. He held no doubt in his mind that had they not adopted him, Sarutobi would never have told him about his mother… or about his family in general.

The sense of betrayal he felt towards the man he had thought of as a grandfather ate at his heart. How many times had the late Hokage smiled at him and told him that he didn't know who his parents were? How many times had the old Hokage smiled and told him everything would be alright even though he knew of the harsh treatment Naruto faced by the villagers? Had Sarutobi even tried to find his mother when she disappeared? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became; the angrier he became, the more he felt Sephiroth's power flow through him. He wasn't completely sure why it was that the ex-SOLDIER's power could flow through him so easily and Sephiroth certainly wasn't offering any answers. He turned his thoughts away from all that, lest he destroy something in his growing anger. Instead he thought of the mission at hand.

They were staying at one of the port towns which dotted the coast of Hi no Kuni, trying to pick up any leads, or rumors, about this sea monster. So far they hadn't had any luck, though Yoruichi swears she felt a familiar presence from one of the surrounding islands. The neko demoness said that they'd stay here until they sorted this out… whether it was what they were looking for or not. Either way, even Naruto could tell that the villagers knew something that they weren't saying, or they were simply too afraid to talk. At any rate, Naruto hovered over the ocean, watching as boats made their rounds. He figured that if there really was a 'sea monster' then the boats wouldn't go near wherever it was. He had been watching them all day, and so far all of the boats avoided only one island. It wasn't the best of leads but currently it was their only one.

With that in mind, Naruto turned and flew back to their hotel. When he landed on the balcony Hinata was already telling Yoruichi about a story one of the fishermen's wives told her. Apparently in the past, people had been abducted and taken to an island, which was said to be haunted by a sea monster. Yoruichi asked if the wife had said which island, Hinata shook her head saying that the woman 'suddenly' remembered something important she had to do. Naruto smirked, telling them what he had observed during the day and suggested that they start their search there. Yoruichi agreed; however she told them that they'd go to the island tomorrow, giving them the rest of the day to prepare. That night found Naruto leaning against the wall, Hinata asleep next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Thoughts of the unfairness of what happened to Kaa-sama continued to plague his mind, even as he drifted off into a restless sleep.

Sabaku no Gaara walked through the desert, on his way back to his home village of Sunagakure no Sato, the tanuki demon Shukaku right behind him. At first, Gaara had no clue what it would be like to travel with the tanuki demon… he quickly found out. He had expected Shukaku to be insane, mad, psycho… not perverted. Every time they stopped to rest in a town, or even if they were still traveling, Shukaku would go off after the first pretty woman he saw. Gaara never found out what Shukaku would say to the woman, but he suspected something rude, or perverted, if the red hand print on the tanuki demon's cheek was anything to go by. Well, at least Shukaku had the sense to hide his demon traits so that he looked like any other monk. Still, it was annoying as, more than once, Gaara had to drag the tanuki demon away so that they wouldn't take too long to get back to Suna. Gaara thanked whatever god was listening that he could still control sand.

Despite the massive headache that the tanuki caused him, Gaara couldn't help but wonder why it was that he was summoned back to Sunagakure. True, he was still a shinobi of Suna, that hadn't changed; but he thought that the village would be happy that the "monster" wasn't there anymore. Not that he fully blamed them either, considering how he had acted for the majority of his life. Not that it was his fault of course, having assassins after you since you were _six years old_ would do that to anyone. He held his oh-so-wonderful _father_, the Yondaime Kazekage of Sunagakure, responsible for that. His father, Gaara was still loath to call _that man_by any such title, had sealed Shukaku into his infant self while he had still been in his mother's womb. Unfortunately the sealing process killed his mother when he was born but a few days later.

After that the Kazekage - Gaara decided once and for all to never call _that man_ his _father_- thought he could mold Gaara into his perfect weapon… that plan backfired. That was when the assassins started to come, but none of them could kill him, the very grains of desert sand would leap to his defense. It wasn't until his own _uncle_, the only family member that Gaara thought had loved him, tried to kill him that his young mind shattered. He vowed then to love no one but himself and to fight for no one but himself, and until very recently that's what he had done. It wasn't until after the failed invasion of Konoha and staying with the Namikaze that Gaara had started to change. He wasn't sure when it was, nor was he completely sure how it happened. But the more time he had spent with the Namikaze, had watched Naruto spend time with his family, Gaara had started to wonder if he could be like that.

He was still out of touch with all of his emotions, but at least he wasn't blood thirsty and trying to kill everyone who crossed his path. Still though, not even his own siblings knew of his recent change, so then why had the village recalled him? Of course, he was still a Suna ninja and the village didn't need any other reason to call him back other than to have him within the village should they need him. He doubted though, that the village didn't hate him, but maybe… maybe they were letting go of their hatred. Or maybe he was just fooling himself with false hope. Well, either way until he returned, he wouldn't know… speaking of which, he saw the gates of Sunagakure appear. The closer he got to the gates, the easier it was to see the many people gathered there.

At the head of the group were his siblings, Temari and Kankuro, along with the village elders. Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara could see the perverted smile which crept onto Shukaku's face as he looked over the female villagers who were amongst the crowd. Gaara had to restrain himself from creating a massive hand out of sand to slap the sand tanuki over the back of his head. As Gaara stood before the crowd, one of the elders stepped forward, "With the death of your father, the Yondaime Kazekage, and since he never appointed anyone to be his successor, it falls to us to make that decision." Here one of the other elders took over, "We believe that there is no one more powerful in this village than you, and as such," the elder removed a hat from beneath his cloak, and presented it to Gaara. Gaara recognized it immediately, the white kanji for 'wind' surrounded by a blue diamond indicating the Kazekage's formal hat. "We would like you to be the Godaime Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato."

Even though his outward expression never changed, for once in his life Gaara was speechless. They wanted him to lead the village? After everything that he had done? After all of their hatred made him what he was? They still wanted him to lead the village? Perhaps there was still a chance to change after all. Completely unsure of what to say, he reached out and took the hat, raising it up and placing it upon his head… and as he did, the gathered crowd let out a massive cheer for their new leader. If Gaara was a normal person and in touch with his emotions, he would have smiled at the sense of pride that filled his very body.

Mikoto made her way towards the Namikaze compound, a bag of sweets and tea held in her hand and the journal of her late husband tucked under her other arm. One might ask why she was going to the Namikaze compound, when both clans share an adversarial past. But she needed to talk to somebody about what she had read in her late husband's journal. Not that she was surprised about what she found, she always knew that he was capable of it but to find out he was going to go through with it? Who was she kidding, she always knew that her husband was going to try and take control of the village. What she found odd was that he would keep such thoughts and plans all written down where it could be easily found, but then she supposed that went along with his arrogance. Either way she needed to talk to somebody, she couldn't keep this to herself anymore and she couldn't tell this to her youngest son. So why had she decided to go to the Namikaze compound? She wasn't sure, but maybe it had something to do with Diao Chan's natural kindness.

Of course, Mikoto should show the journal to Tsunade, but she'd rather this remain secret. She didn't want to show this to the Hokage because she, or worst her children, might be held responsible for the plans of her late husband. She couldn't risk her own, or more importantly her children's, safety. When she had read it, Fugaku mentioned how Itachi appeared to become more and more distanced from the clan, he blamed it on the ANBU Black Ops missions, but she knew the real reason. Her eldest son's loyalties lay with the village of Konohagakure no Sato and not with the Uchiha Clan.

She knew her eldest son, after all, he told her things that he had never mentioned to his father. She remembered one time, it was during the Third Great Shinobi War and Itachi had been but four years old. He was so young back then and already he had seen so much war. Mikoto never wanted that for him but she knew better, knew, it was inevitable that he would see battles because they lived in a ninja village. Even so, she believed him to be too young to handle war, and he confided in her how much he hated it. That night he promised he'd become one of the strongest ninja to protect the village and prevent war from happening again.

If the coup d'etat had succeeded, a civil war would have waged within the village, and other countries may have taken the chance to strike at the village when it was weakened and a fourth shinobi war could have been started. If Itachi truly hated war, then he would have done everything that he could do to stop that from happening. She had no way of knowing if that is what Itachi really believed, if that was the reason he slaughtered the clan. It was solely based upon what he had promised when he was only four years old but…. she had nothing else to hold on to. She couldn't bear to believe that her son turned into a cold blooded killer. She wouldn't accept the fact; her eldest was many things and that wasn't one of them. Was that selfish of her? Was she merely deluding herself into believing that? Maybe, maybe not; but she wouldn't give up on her eldest.

She knocked gently on the Namikaze mansion's front door, waiting patiently for someone to open the door. Diao Chan greeted her with the same warm and gentle smile that was always present on her lips, inviting her inside and into the living room. They sat there for a bit, slowly eating the box of sweets Mikoto brought, and talking about unimportant things while they waited for the tea to be done. As the tea was served, Mikoto's earlier comfort disappeared, her face saddening as she stared down at her late husband's journal. Mikoto sipped her tea, trying and failing to calm her nerves; she didn't even know where to begin. How did you even begin to talk about this, 'So, my husband had been planning to overthrow the village leader'…. right that would go real well. Heaving a heavy sigh, Mikoto opened the journal to the plans her late husband laid out and turned it so that Diao Chan could read it. The Uchiha matriarch waited in silence as Diao Chan read it, staring down at her reflection in her tea. Silence reigned for several minutes and Mikoto's uneasiness continued to grow, questions of how Diao Chan would react constantly flowing through her mind.

Mikoto stared down into her cooling cup of tea, fear eating at her recently turned paranoid mind. What if Diao Chan rejected her and demanded she leave the house? What if she decided to tell the Hokage about this anyway and then what would happen? Mikoto rubbed her forehead, trying to dispel such thoughts. What was she thinking? She may not know Diao Chan all that well but she knew that went against Diao Chan's nature. Mikoto poured herself another cup of tea and took a sip, trying sooth her racing thoughts and only partially succeeding. Diao Chan's voice cut through Mikoto's inner ramblings, "There's more you wish to talk about than your late husband's ambitions." Mikoto almost chuckled at Diao Chan's insightfulness.

It was true, there was more she wanted to talk about, what Fugaku had written in his journal was merely an excuse. "You're right, I…. I wanted to ask how you raised Naruto so that he didn't hate the villagers after all they've done to him."

Diao Chan's brows knitted together as she tried to think of an answer. They sat in silence for several minutes, Diao Chan staring at the Uchiha matriarch and Mikoto staring down into her cup of tea. Eventually Diao Chan heaved a heavy sigh and looked down into her own cup of tea, "I don't think it was anything different than what a loving mother would show to her son. Maybe it's because of his personality; maybe it was how he was raised, and who's to say. But lately… lately…" Diao Chan paused, collecting her thoughts for several minutes until she once again spoke up, "You shared your clan's darkest secret with me and I find it only fair that I share one with you…" And so, Diao Chan told Mikoto about what happened to Namikaze Kushina.

Mikoto remembered Kushina, after all, who wouldn't remember the "Akai-Tenshi" but that wasn't why she remembered the red-haired kunoichi. When Kushina first came to Konoha all those years ago, she had been one of the first to try and befriend her. It wasn't an easy thing to do, Mikoto remembered many a time when Kushina would ignore her and just keep on training. Mikoto kept at it, eventually breaking apart Kushina's icy attitude and they became the best of friends. Even after Naruto was born and Benihime-sama was sealed into him, Mikoto continued to visit Kushina when she could. Of course she had little Sasuke to worry about but she brought him along sometimes. She actually found it funny that even though they were only a year old they had a small "rivalry". She even had Itachi baby-sit the two babies, whenever she and Kushina wanted to do something together for the night. But all that changed when Kushina went missing when Naruto turned three.

Of course, she had tried everything she could to help little Naruto, but her husband had done everything in his power to stop that. More than once she saw the police 'reports' disappear when it concerned the young Namikaze… of course it didn't help that Sarutobi had changed Naruto's clan name back to Uzumaki. At the time she still had a young Sasuke to raise; so the most she could do was have Itachi watch over Naruto whenever he wasn't on duty. As Mikoto continued to listen to Diao Chan, she found herself increasingly angry about what happened to one of her oldest friends. Mikoto could only wonder how Naruto felt when he found out about all this… it was a wonder that he didn't destroy the village in rage. While Diao Chan spoke, Mikoto saw her place her hand protectively over her stomach. It wasn't noticeable at all; in fact, if Mikoto herself hadn't been pregnant twice in her life she would not have seen it. That ever so slight "baby bump", as many mothers-to-be called it, which signified growing life within a woman.

So that was what had Diao Chan truly worried, that Naruto might not be the best big brother. Mikoto flashed back to when both of her children were younger, before the clan had been slaughtered and before Sasuke hated Itachi. They were the best of brothers, Mikoto nearly chuckled as she remembered Sasuke constantly pestering Itachi to play or train with him. Those were good times… happy times, when she didn't need to worry about her husband's ambitions; when she didn't need to worry about clan and village matters; when all she had to worry about was raising two boys into fine young men. Mikoto hastily wiped her eyes of any threatening tears and gently shook her head to dispel such thoughts.

Her thoughts turned to Sasuke, and how he has been acting lately. She had tried all that she could do to turn her youngest away from the path of revenge… but Sasuke was far too much like his father. He was stubborn, won't listen to anything that others say to him and always believes that he is right no matter what. That scared her far more than anything else could. She was scared that Sasuke was becoming the very thing that she hated the clan for becoming… and she had been unable to stop him. Had she done enough? Could there be something else that she could, and should have, done? What was the point in asking those questions now? She was merely torturing herself with self-doubt and pity. Mikoto sighed deeply, "Where did we go wrong in raising them?"

Mikoto really wasn't expecting an answer until Diao Chan spoke up, "All we can do is teach them… it is up to them to do with it as they see fit, or if they will listen to it at all."

* * *

I am so so so so so so so so sorry that it took me this long to to write out this chapter. The reason behind it was because it's so very emotional that it was hard to figure out the right thing to write. At any rate I believe that I've pulled it off quit nicely.

The part about Gaara was... actually I had almost forgotten that I left him Konoha, so I thought that this was a good way of showing how he changed. Can anyone guess who I based Shukaku's personality on? Any way... Naruto's way of thinking at the moment, now where have we seen that before? Mikoto going to talk to Diao Chan, how angry would Sasuke be if he every found out about that? No really, what did you think about that interaction between the two mothers?

Well, that's it for this chapter. I hope to have the next on out sooner.


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